Make Yourself A Legend
by Never learned to code
Summary: What if Shinji's sensei had been a good role-model? What if he handled the stress piloting placed on his shoulders just a tad better? What if he understood his enemy and had the will to fight? With your help, readers, this can be the definitive Eva fanfic. Action, Romance, and Pop culture references await. Epilogue: Shinji Made Himself a Legend
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is Property of Hideaki Anno, and Gainax/Studio Khaara. This story is not connected to any commercial Evangelion product, and any attempt to resale this text is prohibited.

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Now with that out of the way:

**Make Yourself a Legend: an Evangelion Fan re-creation**

Recommended listening: A Cruel Angel's Thesis ( watch?v=3nQNSLB3Lpk )

Prologue: Hakone, Japan, 2001.

"Mass recovery efforts are still continuing in the southern hemisphere, gentlemen. Australia, Polynesia, and nearly all of South America have been flooded due the tidal waves and sea level rises as caused by the Antarctic meltdown, and I don't want to dig too deep into the mass-eradication of 2.22 billion human beings that occurred mere seconds after the Second Impact's explosive reveal. The good news I have to offer, however, is that the cause of the event has been excavated and is being transported on ice to the Federal Biomedical Agency in Moscow for research and, I'm sure, a very long and difficult analysis for the FBA's personnel."

A young Kyoto University graduate student was presenting a slideshow with images of a dinosaur-like alien being to a United Nations Security Council inspection team at a conference hotel in Hakone.

"What I can tell you, is that we have final, conclusive proof that we are not alone in our galaxy. This being, given the identification 'Third Angel' by Kyoto University's biology department chairman, was attempting to make physical contact with a precursor to its species after its deorbit and penetration of the Southern Ice Cap. An Antarctic research team was onsite when the Angel cratered. They uncovered it attempting—no, succeeding to bore into a stark-white sphere the team named the 'white moon'. Upon its entry, the team was annihilated by what can be only described as a Gigaton nuclear explosion. This Impact created enough force to move the magnetic poles off their axis and place our nation of Japan into a near-equatorial rotation."

Gendo Ikari was successfully keeping the attention of the UNSC inspectors as he moved the final and most impactful segment of his presentation—the reveal of the second sphere, miles underground Hakone, Japan.

"So you expect us to agree to start a war against incomprehensible alien invaders based upon your belief that there happens to be a second golf ball of yours underneath our feet?" A skeptical UN representative cut in. "I would not be so concerned if we weren't firing blindly into the night, but you people haven't the slightest idea how to combat these…things. Frankly they seem hardly angelic to me"

"As a matter of fact, we do know how to fight them," came the reply from a dark-haired, almost frail-looking pregnant woman in the rear of the room. "Allow me to introduce myself somewhat early, gentlemen. Dr. Yui Ikari, recent Kyoto University microbiologist. Based on preliminary inspection, the angel was capable of rapid regeneration of its physical body due to a central organ that seems to generate both energy and matter—it's up to the Russian agency to determine a more specific answer than that."

"You said 'physical body' specifically, why?" asked the somewhat more interested inspector.

"Because, based on camera footage broadcasted by the research team—and confirmed by their lone survivor, the Angel appeared to survive deorbit by coasting on a field of projected energ-"

"Fantastic!" The skeptical inspector interjected. "You're telling us that we have to get around an energy shield and then hit the weak point to kill the damn thing! You're not describing an enemy; you're describing a video game!"

"That's enough," said the distinguished chair of the inspection team. "These academics happen to have photographic proof of their claims, and we would do well to show some civility."

"Apologies Chairman Lorenz, and to you Mrs. Ikari."

"Yes. As to your proposal, Mr. Ikari, isn't 10 Trillion Yen just a bit expensive?"

"Yes it is. However, we need not just to build a vault around this second moon, but to invest in the infrastructure to defend it in the event of another invasion."

"You need a gun big enough to get past that shield of yours, right?"

"No," Mrs. Ikari answered, "To eliminate the shield, we will use one of our own."

"Explain."

"The core organ inside the Angel was determined to have 99.8% compatibility with human DNA. Based on current and near-future bioengineering technology, we should have the capacity to recreate them for ourselves. We would need to implant them into a synthetic living being—of massive stature of course—but, the resulting superweapon would be able to burn away the angel's 'shield' with its own."

"And the 10 Trillion is to build, house, and deploy them?"

"Mostly; in order to protect the moon, we have a preliminary design for a fortress city—built over this location. Every house, tower, streetlight and road will factor into the deployment and support of defenses against the Angels."

Lorenz smiled to himself. =Just as the Scrolls have read= "Professor Fuyutsuki, do you condone the statements made by your students?"

"Indeed I do, they are both well-prepared."

"Then, upon review by the UNSC at the UN General Assembly, we will proceed."

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A/N: What do you think? I took some artistic liberty delving into Gehrin/Nerv's history, and decided to make the Ikari family involved from the very beginning. Let me know if I had any glaring errors/logic holes and review!


	2. Chapter 1: Disappear and Abandon

Answers:

Guest: Nope, the United Nations Security Council is in fact a real life organization, but the UNSC reference was kind of an in-joke (google "UNSC BBC news goof" )

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Disclaimer: See prologue

Ch.1 Disappear and Abandon.

Hakone, Japan, 2004.

The Artificial Evolution Laboratory, despite its bizarre sounding name, was the pinnacle of human medical technology. Advanced prostheses, stem-cell based organ transplants, and neural augmentations are developed in the top-secret joint government and corporate facility. Managed by the UN, it has great international presence, with companies such as Chinese based Tai Yong Medical, and American companies Crynet Systems and Sarif Industries competing to purchase the futuristic developments coming from the labs.

The Lowest floor of the lab complex is the Gehirn branch. It was specifically established to determine the solution for 'the Black Moon dilemma.' The SEELE Subcommittee of the UN Security Council had been recently elected by the General Assembly to oversee the after-effects and future defense of Hakone, and the planned fortress city to be built above it. There were the usual questions of graft and shrewd politics in the election, but that's nothing electoral bribery can't fix. With SEELE's well-appropriated funding, Dr. Ikari and Prof. Fuyutsuki were able to draft the brightest electronic, mechanical, and biologic engineers from around the planet. The Gehirn program focused on the development of gigantic humanoid 'Evangelions', and Gendo Ikari's natural organizational leadership was used to keep the large staff of brilliant but often absentminded professors working and studying smoothly.

The UNSC oversaw the construction of the armored dome that would spread over and across the former city of Hakone. When it was completed, there would be 22 layers of ceramic armor—the most rigid and resilient object man had ever constructed. However, it was the ingenious method the builders used to protect the inhabitants of the city that was truly laudable. Each and every skyscraper, every apartment building, every corporate office was bristling with surface to air missiles, anti-air cannons, and garage space for military vehicles was divided up along roads and highways. When the new housing blocks were furnished, the civilian population of Hakone was moved into the upper city of Tokyo-3 to live in the incredible moving skyscrapers—buildings that could be lowered under the armor like a turtle retracting into its shell.

Ground-level Hakone was made into dedicated military complex real estate, giving the giant robots plenty of fighting room on its home turf. Gehirn essentially owned the entire complex, as they needed workspace, housing, facilities and raw materials for construction of the Evangelion units. Their pyramid base was a sight to behold, as was the emergency water reservoir that functioned as a reflecting pool for the base itself. Over time, Gehirn's political influence grew, and with it, so did its international reach. Gehirn Branch 2was established at an Air Force base in Nevada that doesn't exist, and Bethany base was built in Siberia, with the express purpose to entomb the still-alive Third Angel.

The raw similarities between human and angel DNA made work on reverse-engineering the Third's core simple, but imperfect. The synthetic core could generate matter and the shield, known to Gehirn scientists as an 'absolute-terror field', but could not power itself. The Evangelion units would require constant and available external power, and that meant a massive upgrade to Japanese infrastructure, long overdue after the damage caused by the Second Impact.

When 2004 arrived, Gehirn had successfully grown the muscle and skeletal mass for Prototype Evangelion 00 and Test Evangelion 01. Unit 00 was infamously glitchy and spent quite a bit of time connected to the MAGI computer system for calibration. Dr. Naoko Akagi—quite possibly the most brilliant computer scientist in history—had her work cut out for her when she designed and built the computer system that would calibrate and maintain the fleet of cyborg war machines. The three server systems were each given separate artificial intelligence operating systems, and they spent just as much time arguing with one another as they did useful computations.

The Evangelion units were built with two potential control systems—one was a physical cockpit that the pilot would ride and manipulate the unit with conventional controls. The other, a design espoused by Dr. Ikari herself, involved merging the pilot into the Evangelion's core-the pilot wouldn't need joysticks or triggers, they would control the massive beasts like they controlled their own bodies. The two systems were to be progressively tested, but Unit 00, with the first-generation 'entry-plug' system was down for maintenance…again.

Unit 01 was progressing well enough that Dr. Ikari fast-forwarded the live pilot trials and wrote herself into the sortie roster, taking the very first position as a candidate. When the core-entry test was scheduled, she was to simply activate Unit 01, broadcast a 'success' message over its transmitter, and then exit the core. Gendo was overseeing personnel for the day, and neither adult Ikari could manage to arrange childcare for their three-year-old son Shinji. Gendo brought him into the test control room and told him to wait still while he and his mother worked for just a few minutes. Dr. Akagi, however, just wouldn't have a bored little boy sitting and looking lonely while all these adults were being workaholics. She took to fawning over the timid but adorable boy while she should have been reading the MAGI's calculations—she really couldn't help it, she had a daughter of her own, now a Dean's List student at Tokyo University.

Yui harnessed herself into the entry crane—an unwieldy scaffolding that would lower her into the core directly, and as the test was started, all personnel were ushered behind the bulletproof windows. Unit 01 was plugged into its ultra-high-voltage power conduit and Yui was lowered. A flash of light from the core and the MAGI displayed the simple text 'success' on their terminals. Dr. Akagi hushed the celebrating and gave the order "All right, let's get her out!" A technician at the next terminal gave her the warning: Yui's mind was synchronizing with Unit 01 well beyond the 1:1, 100% threshold. At this rate, the Evangelion was going to take control of her.

"EMERGENCY STATIONS! All personnel focus on deactivating Unit 01!" Akagi shouted across the facility. "Cut power! Lower the crane, we'll fish her out if we have to!"

The entry rig attempted to remove the endangered pilot, but Unit 01 tore the scaffolding away with its newly-activated arms, halting the intended rescue attempt.

"My God," the tech gasped out. "She's going to a 400% sync…she's dissolving in the core!"

"What!? Why isn't it deactivating?"

"Ma'am 14 seconds until internal battery is depleted"

"That's too long! 10 seconds."

"Yui, please," Gendo whispered to himself. "6 seconds"

"5…4…3…2…1" The robotic weapon's eyes darkened and its arms fell slack.

Silence.

The room felt silence for over a minute.

"Dr. Akagi…" Naoko looked down at the boy by her leg.

"Wasn't my mom out there?"

"Yes she was, but we'll have her back in the office in no time," the motherly scientist lied, but she doubted he believed her.

She picked him up and carried him over to his father, who was still staring out over the failed test.

Gendo Ikari wasn't a cold man, but his heart broke that day. Something in his mind broke as well. He spoke to the lifeless robot, "I'll save you Yui, even if it kills me and everyone else here." He hurried home with Shinji, both of them frightened and confused. He spoke to a representative of the school system, where he told them that looking at his son made him sick for his lost wife and that it made him angry and violent. He asked that the boy be taken away for his own safety, and Shinji was gone the next day. Gendo Ikari set about learning how to resurrect his wife, even it cost him the entire world.

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A/N: Wow, 2300 words and finally some action! (hey, I never said it was good action…) but I do believe that worldbuilding is an important part of storytelling, and the technobabble is an important part of that worldbuilding. But it does make me feel like Ritsuko. As an aside, the lack of worldbuilding (or context for that matter, was one of my major problems with Rebuild 3.0, hence why I'm trying my hand at it.


	3. Chapter 2: Birth and Death

Disclaimer: See prologue

Chapter 2: Birth and Death

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Hakone, Japan, 2007

"Each and every living thing in this universe contains the manifestation of the soul, and it is this facet of living beings that gives organisms of massive stature their ability to generate a physical projection of that soul. The research done on the Third Angel at Bethany Gehirn proves that the AT Field is not some field of plasma or electricity, but an extension of the soul created by a being with the sheer force of will to force their individuality on the outside world. Even creatures like whales and elephants here on earth are capable of creating an AT Field; they simply lack the cognition to perform the action necessary to generate the field."

SEELE-03 SOUND ONLY—"And as such, these adversaries are not just thoughtless animals, they clearly have a set goal and purpose for their invasion."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY—"And the Scrolls have stated their purpose: When they unite with the progenitors of life in this world, Adam or Lillith, the mortal inhabitants will be eradicated in place to create a new race, one that possesses the Fruit of Life over the Fruit of Knowledge. In that account, the Second Impact failed, as the Third Angel did not complete its unity, and the remains of Adam were fossilized in the Antarctic ice."

"Indeed, however, it is the Fruit of Knowledge that gives us the power to fight these beings, and I assure you, they will not unite with Lillith."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY—"Remember Ikari, the 'Third Impact' is not what we are fighting, it is the Angels' control of it that we will not allow. The Impact itself is our key to the Forced Evolution of humanity into eternity, and it will happen under our hands."

SEELE UNITS (Various)—"INSTRUMENTALITY! INSTRUMENTALITY! INSTRUMENTALITY! INSTRUMENTALITY!"

"As long as Gehirn possesses Lillith, gentlemen, I assure you, Instrumentality is your possession."

The room darkened as the holodeck ended the conference with the shadow government leaders.

"They still don't trust you, Gendo," Fuyutsuki stated.

"And it does them good. You know I have no desire to 'Evolve Humanity'. Instrumentality is merely what will bring Yui back to me."

Gendo picked up his office phone and dialed Dr. Akagi's extension. "What's the status on the extraction, Naoko?"

"In theory, we should already be done. The MAGI have confirmed that electrified LCL can be used to transfer a human persona from one physical body to another. They also determined that Yui's soul has, at a minimum, survived and is still residing inside Unit 1. We've made several attempts to draw her out."

"But you haven't…"

"I don't know how to explain it, sir, but Unit 01 is actively resisting the extraction attempts. Either Unit 01 doesn't want her to leave, or Yui herself is refusing to cooperate with us."

"Then I expect you to continue to get her out. What's the status on her new body?"

"Yui's DNA donations weren't enough to recreate her body alone. We found our solution in several skin grafts taken from Lillith's body. With Lillith's dominant DNA,we were able to create several replicas, and are currently holding the most cohesive body as Yui's future vessel."

"Then I have two orders for you: restart the cloning process from scratch. Build Yui a body with everything you've learned so far. I want it to be perfect."

"And the other, Gendo?"

"I will be referred to as 'Commander' and nothing less. Can you understand that?"

"…Yes, sir."

"You will perform an LCL extraction from the comatose body of Lillith into your best current clone."

"You want me to do what?"

"It will be another layer of protection against an Impact. If an angel reaches Lillith, it will find a dead body."

"Lillith wouldn't be dead, only dormant."

"Even so, we still need the protection."

"Very well, sir.

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Edo, Japan, 2010

Nine-year old Shinji Ikari deeply loved his long-lost mother, Yui, but to this day he still became depressed whenever thoughts of his father would enter his head. To Shinji, instead of 'Gendo Ikari, my dad' he was 'Gendo Ikari, the man who let those government men take me away'. Shinji wasn't in a bad position, however, as his legal guardian, who Shinji simply referred to as 'Sensei', was his wise and kindly fourth-grade schoolteacher. He understood Shinji's loss as he himself suffered through the death of his wife before he took Shinji in, and though he was stern and strict, raised him with grandfatherly guidance at every turn. Sensei didn't just dismiss Shinji's disdain for his father, but told him that his father's work was dangerous and life-threatening and that "What he does will help protect the entire world". It was Gendo's act of sending him away was the only way for Shinji to get an education and a childhood, Sensei told him, but despite his best efforts, Shinji never really believed him.

"Shinji, you're going to enter Junior High next year, and I want you to study hard _and_ get strong and fit as well. You could try out for baseball or soccer, and you'll start taking lessons in defense-"

"Sensei", Shinji cut in, "I can play a sport, sure, but I don't want to fight anybody."

"Indeed you don't, and that's one of the many ways that I can see how good of a boy you've become, but schoolyard bullies, especially in your high-school years, want to fight simply because they can. You have to learn the difference between a threat that you can flee from and escape versus a threat that you must face and overcome. Your desire for nonviolence could be met by those who would do you harm, and I won't allow myself to let you go unprepared."

Shinji thought for a moment, "Is there anything I can do that doesn't involve me attacking people?"

"Indeed there is, Aikido is a wrestling form that teaches you to outmaneuver and overpower your opponent without brutishly beating on them. If a bully starts rushing towards you to hit you, you simply catch him and throw him to the ground, you don't have to hit him back."

"Ok, I'll try that, and I'll go for baseball when spring practices start."

"Very good, Shinji. I don't want you to become a high-school jock, I want you to become a strong and understanding individual, and that means you have to exercise your muscles, and your intellect in equal measure."

"I will, Sensei"

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Gehirn Headquarters, 2010

A cheerful four-year-old girl scampered throughout the massive pyramid complex, looking for the nice lady doctor the Commander told her to find. She split her time between taking school lessons with the Commander and his friendly old assistant—she was miraculously intelligent, already reading high-school level novels at her age—and getting regular checkups with Dr. Akagi. She didn't really like that last part, because it meant getting poked with cold metal things and having her head scanned by a big, noisy machine. But today the Commander just told her to find Dr. Akagi and tell her a secret.

She found the doctor typing away on a computer deep down in the sublevels; after watching her work without pause for a good few minutes, little Rei made a soft cough, awakening the scientist from her work.

"…Rei, what in the world are you doing all the way down here?"

"The Commander sent me to find you and tell you!" She happily answered.

"Okay then, tell me—you've got my undivided attention."

"The Commander wanted me to tell you that I think you're an old hag."

Dr. Akagi's face fell, "Rei, why would you say that?"

"The Commander wanted you to know. He calls you 'that old hag' all the time. 'The old hag is here' 'The old hag left' 'The old hag needs to go'…"

As Naoko reacted with shock, formerly happy memories flooded into her head. = "Commander, the Lillith transfer was successful, but we didn't create a human goddess. Instead, you've essentially brought a baby girl into the world."

"Yui always wanted a daughter after we had Shinji. We would have named her 'Rei'. I'll raise her as my own daughter, for the sake of Yui's legacy, Naoko." =

Naoko had been betrayed. Commander Ikari had just used this innocent little girl to break the doctor's heart. Naoko snapped.

By the time she had regained control of her emotions, Naoko saw Rei's lifeless body held in her own hands. = I just murdered a little girl = she thought, as she saw the sparkle of life in Rei's deep red eyes die away. She looked at Rei's beautiful natural blue hair, and saw the death of the most unique, individual child to have ever walked the planet. Naoko fought back the urge to vomit as her vision went blurry; she stumbled backwards…and over the safety railing down into the MAGI infrastructure complex. Her body collided with the ground at the exact moment that Commander Ikari made another phone call.

"This message is to congratulate the newly-credentialed Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. We at the newly-reorganized NERV organization would like to offer her the position of 'Chief Research Officer'. She may reply to this offer of employment at her own discretion."

After completing that call, he made a second one to the Artificial Evolution Laboratory.

"This is Ikari. Prepare a transfer and a new vessel for the First Child."

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A/N: So, how's it feel to be on the beginning edge of the main Evangelion continuity? I am proud to promise more action _and_ shipping bait in the next chapter. Now how about some reviews, people?


	4. Chapter 3: First Sight

Answers:

Ai-no: for the same reason as I gave on my profile, I just don't like Asuka as a person. I don't care how emotionally damaged she is, she does not have the right to treat people the way she does. I'm glad that you're able to like her, though.

textdump: that's actually what I'm trying to avoid. I don't want Action-Shinji any more than anybody else does. Instead, I was inspired by the tvtropes page 'Upbringing Makes the Hero'. Shinji's Sensei is never really revealed in the series, and this gives me a lot of freedom to write a positive influence in Shinji's pre-Eva life.

Disclaimer: See prologue

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Chapter 3: First Sight

Tokyo-3, 2014

"For a futuristic 'Fortress City', Tokyo-3 kind of looks like a dump…"

Shinji was standing by a coin-slot telephone, somewhere around the outskirts of the city. Streetlights were malfunctioning, roads and sidewalks were cracked with plants and grasses growing through them, and there were cracks and chunks knocked out of the walls of the buildings lining the road. = I was supposed to meet, uh, Ms. Katsuragi, 35 minutes ago at this bus station... = Shinji thought to himself as he read the letter she sent him.

"Just like my dad to ask me to come visit him and then leave me in the nowhere end of the city."

He tried the phone again;_ 'Due to the state of emergency, digital communications have been suspended to dedicate bandwidth to military forces.'_ = And that means that I'm completely alone out here. I need to find a blast shelter. Where's my city map-=

He was shaken out of his train of thought by a rocket engine roaring over his head. Two air-to-surface missiles flew out towards the beachline and towards a tall, walking…object. Shinji stood wide eyed as the object was hit by a swarm of missiles and continued walking towards the shore. Seconds later, he saw several organized flights of armed hovering aircraft slowly advancing over his head and towards the creature. They started firing their nose cannons and unguided rocket pods to little effect, as Shinji quickly noticed; = Those weapons are just exploding around it, = he thought to himself, = not a single one has hit that thing yet. Can't those fighter pilots see they're not getting anything done? = One unlucky flight crew learned of their efforts quickly when the being slapped their VTOL with its long, fleshy arm. The doomed aircraft spiraled over Shinji's head and slammed into the base of a nearby building, only to be stomped to shreds by the creature's foot. It suddenly turned and started walking towards Shinji, too frozen with shock and terror to move, failed to notice a blue sports car speeding between its legs and screeching to a halt beside him. The driver, a brown haired woman who looked like she just came from a gearhead magazine photoshoot, kicked the passenger door open and yelled at Shinji to get in. He scrambles into the car moments before the giant foot comes down, just long enough for the woman to get a car-length away. As they continue down the road, the woman gives herself a belated introduction.

"Sorry I'm late, name's Misato; and you've got to be Shinji, right?"

"Yes, Ms. Katsuragi, thank you for picking me up."

"Please, just Misato, saying 'Ms. Katsuragi' makes me feel old. Now aren't you going to ask me what the hell just happened back there?"

"If you represent the government, I figured you just wouldn't tell me."

"Well now, that's cynical for a teenage kid like you."

"It's not cynical, I'm just used to being kept in the dark about my dad…"

"Well, you'll get to find out a lot about him when we make it to home base."

As they were conversating, several flights of VTOLs passed over the car.

"Are they pulling out already…That means they're using an N2 bomb, GET DOWN SHINJI!"

He ducked and buried his eyes as the car was blown off the road from the massive overpressure from the bomb blast, with the car coming to a halt on a sand dune far off the highway.

* * *

Layers below ground, Japanese Joint Self Defense Force commanders were arguing about the heat and force exerted by the bomb.

"It's the most destructive non-nuclear device ever created; there is nothing, NOTHING, that could make it through that."

"Well it just made it through the entirety of the North Pacific Fleet and half of our close air support group without missing a step. We'll jump to no conclusions until the tank battalions get clear visual on the blast site."

They waited as the massive television screen inside NERV headquarters cleared of smoke and thermals, and were horrified at the sight of the being, horribly burned and disfigured, still trudging toward them. Its burns and scars were being grafted away by new layers of skin and muscle before their very eyes.

"What you gentlemen are seeing is the ultimate life form. Completely resilient to heat, force, gunfire and kinetic bombardment as long as it's protective shield is present."

"And you think your people can do better, Ikari?"

"No, I know that we can do better. NERV has been preparing for this moment for the past 15 years."

"Then operational command is being transferred to you starting…Now."

"Very good. Fuyutsuki, take command. I'll be down overseeing the preparation of Unit 01."

"Of course, Commander." = Their first reunion in more than three years… =

* * *

"Okay, PUSH"

The poor car fell back onto its wheels, prompting Misato to quip "I know for a fact that my insurance company doesn't cover warfare. Are you feeling okay?"

"…All I can taste is sand."

"Then you're fine, get back in, I've already made us late enough as it is."

"Where are we going exactly, anyway?"

"NERV HQ, don't you know anything about what your father does?"

"All I know is what my Sensei told me. He said that it's important for the future of humanity…"

"And your Sensei was right. NERV is the final stand between Earth and the Angels. That thing back there just happens to be the Fourth Angel, and we won't allow it to cause any damage like the previous three have; and with that, you might want to read this."

"Welcome to NERV…? Am I supposed to be working here?"

"Well you have to do _something_ while you're down here." Misato turned right and into a highway tunnel. "This is the express lift down, we should save some time now."

As they cleared the tunnel, Shinji saw a massive pyramid in the middle of a forest paradise. "That's the real GeoFront! We talk about it in school all the time!"

"Yep, we kind of have a fantastic view from the office." Misato answered with a giggle.

"Now, we just have to take the lift down from junction 42 to the storage lake and then we have to …uh…"

"Misato, are you lost?"

* * *

'_Express lift service to Evangelion storage confirmed, Major Katsuragi authenticated'_

= She's late again = thought a blonde-haired woman climbing out of a boat in the storage lake.

As Shinji and Misato finally approached the proper level, the building shook violently.

"Are we prone to earthquakes down here, Misato?"

"No, that's the Angel. It means we need to hurry up." It was around that moment that Ritsuko found them blundering their way into Unit 01's chamber.

"Congratulations, Major Katsuragi, once again, you're late for work. Do we need to set up a conversation with human resources?"

"Not now Ritsuko, I'm the one who rescued Shinji from Frankenstein up there."

"Well then, so you're Commander Ikari's son I presume?"

"Uh yes ma'am. Shinji Ikari, nice to meet you."

"And I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, head of research and development here in the dungeon. Have you read through the manual, yet?"

"Not the whole thing, but I'll finish it."

"Forget about it. I'm about to show you something that will never be printed in that book."

She raised the lights, and Shinji looked upon a skyscraper sized man. Well, he thought it was a man, anyway. The massive purple-green shell around its head made it look like a dinosaur.

"…What am I looking at, doctor?"

"The artificial humanoid Evangelion; Unit 01 to be specific. The most powerful weapon to ever be developed by mankind."

"My father helped build this thing?"

"Indeed I did. It's been a long time."

Shinji looked up at the office complex above their landing. "Dad."

The building shook again. Commander Ikari issued the order: "We're moving forward, NOW."

Ritsuko turned to Shinji. "Shinji Ikari, you are the Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01."

Shinji's eyes widened. "I'm a WHAT?! I can't pilot that thing! I've never even seen it before! This is ridiculous. Is this really why you've brought me here, dad?"

"I've brought you here because I can use you."

"And you expect me to get in this thing and…what? Fight that Angel?"

"You will receive instruction."

"Sure I will. After 8 weeks of basic military training, several years of piloting school, and practice during peacetime! You're telling me to just jump in this thing and act like I'm a soldier. Dad, do you realize you're talking to a 14 year old boy?!"

"Yes I do realize that. I also realize that you are the only one who can control it."

"That's ridiculous! You spent the last 11 years building this thing without even thinking about who's going to control it? Because I am (not) the person who can!"

"Our other pilot is incapable of operating this Unit. If you're going to run away, do it now, and don't waste my time."

Shinji turned to leave. = Why did I even agree to come here? =

Gendo gave a new order: "Extract the Core from Unit 00! Prep Unit 01 for the core exchange. Open the channel to Rei's treatment room."

"Rei, the spare failed. Prepare to enter Unit 01."

"Yes."

Misato turned to Shinji, "Listen to me Shinji, you can't run away now. We brought you here because we need you. If you didn't believe in what your dad does, why did you agree to come here?"

"Because I just wanted to have a dad, that's why." Shinji whispered.

Just as he was about to give up and leave, a hospital crew wheeled in a bed containing a bandaged teenage girl; the most attractive young woman Shinji had ever seen. He didn't believe the natural blue hair and deep red eyes could belong to a person, yet here she was, climbing out of the bed…at the exact moment that the Angel started its attack on the surface above the base. The building shook again, and her hospital rig collapsed, with the girl landing in a heap, crying in pain. Misato and Ritsuko stumbled around, trying to keep their bearings, while Shinji ran over to the girl. = She landed on her bandages; she's bleeding, badly! She'll die out there! = He forced himself to keep his composure.

= i mustn't run away. I Mustn't Run Away. I MUSTN'T RUN AWAY! =

"Fine! I'll pilot it!"

Gendo smirked, apparently he dealt himself a very good hand.

* * *

A/N: Pay attention to the argument between Shinji and his father. As opposed to 'Space Marine' Shinji, I wanted to try 'Logical' Shinji. I felt that he is more than intelligent enough to present a more reasoned argument than (quoting the tv show) "It's just impossible!"

Now, down to business: I've got 1000 reads and exactly 3 reviews, so I'm going to assume that I'm writing the greatest story ever told and there's nothing you guys can think of for me to improve on. In other words; c'mon, start reviewing, people!


	5. Chapter 4: First Fight

Answers:

Ch 4 Guest: That compliment really means a lot to me. I write reports for college regularly, but I wasn't a particularly good creative writer for years (hence this being my first big project),

Fanus: Funny you should say 'Rational Real pilot' because I started taking flying lessons at age 14 (what a coincidence, right?) and complete rationality is the exact behaivor required when you're at the controls of an expensive machine. I've never really played the sly cooper games, but you've got me reading your story now, you clever racoon...

* * *

Disclaimer: See prologue

* * *

Chapter 4: First Fight

Shinji put on the strange headset that Ritsuko gave him.

"That's your A-10 neural network connection. It allows you to control the Eva with your thoughts and voice. Now I need you to follow me up to the Entry Plug. It functions both as your control room and the Eva's spinal cord."

Shinji settled into the seat and took hold of the twin joysticks.

"Shinji, you have Eight degrees of motion. Four with your headset for your view controls, so that wherever you look, the Eva will look as well. Your joysticks provide the other directions. Pull them back towards you in unison and you'll walk forward, push them away and you'll go backwards. Rotate them in opposite directions and you'll turn left or right."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense."

"You don't have a rifle right now but you do have a combined knife and plasma torch. It's stored in your right shoulder holster and can cut and burn away an Angel's flesh."

"For now, at least, we'll have a direct connection between the Eva and HQ, so we'll handle the Eva's defenses. When you get out there; just focus on getting close to the angel and stabbing the core. If everything goes well, you'll be back in 15 minutes."

"This is Akagi, close the plug and insert."

Shinji watched the heavy door close and felt a hard drop as the plug was forced down Unit 01's spinal column. Without warning, the cylinder filled with a red liquid, and Shinji gasped and held his breath.

"Ionize the LCL. Just breathe Shinji, we're running an electrical current through the chamber. It converts the LCL from liquid to gas; it's going to provide you with more oxygen than regular air."

Shinji breathed and noticed that the gas smelled like blood.

"Prep the catapult!

"Cat Shot in 3…2…1…Fire!"

Shinji felt crushed in his seat as the Eva rocketed upwards on the Maglev rails, coming to a rapid halt somewhere in upper Tokyo-3. He was restrained in the launch sled, but got his first look at his opponent. Gray-brown skin and a beak-like face obscured a large red sphere in the center of the Angel's body. = I guess that's the core I need to stab…=

"Shinji, Misato here, are you ready?"

"Not really, let's go."

"Fair enough. Release the clamps! Join power coupling! Evangelion Unit 01: MOVE OUT!"

"Okay, Shinji, it's Ritsuko. Just focus on smoothly operating the controls. Try walking forward."

= Sensei told me not to fight unless it's to defend myself, I guess I can defend other people too… =

Shinji pulled the twin sticks back towards him…and promptly dropped the Eva flat on its face.

"Oww…" Shinji felt his nose smash against the ground…and then get lifted up by the head as the angel grabbed Unit 01 around the neck. The angel started twisting his arm, and Shinji felt his shoulder dislocate. Misato reacted with anger; "SHINJI! The pain is not real! Your arm is not injured!" Ritsuko reacted with shock; "Maya, where's the AT Field?!"

"It failed to deploy! He's a sitting duck inside that thing."

The angel dragged the Eva along the ground and started repeatedly striking Unit 01's helmet.

"Armor cracks! The blunt trauma is exceeding the helmet standards!

Shinji felt himself receive a concussive blow to his head. He choked on the LCL and passed out.

Shigeru Aoba spoke up, "Sync Loss! Pilot vitals falling, we've lost comms with Shinji!"

"Alright," Misato determined, "Scrub the mission, tow the power cable and get Unit 01 back here."

"Too late, Unit 01 just force ejected the power cable! It's operating on internal."

"Then is Shinji still piloting!?"

"No," Ritsuko predicted "It's going berserk! I thought I wrote that behavior out of its programming!"

Unit 01 charged towards the Angel, with its injured arm rapidly healing itself.

Maya read the long-range sensors, "AT Field is online!"

Unit 01 punched into the chest of the Angel, the two fields burning and sparking against each other. With a powerful forward kick, the Angel was knocked backwards and mangled itself against the remains of a skyscraper. Unit 01 crawled on top of it, clawing and scraping at the Angel's core until a combination of boiling blood and superheated plasma erupted from it.

With a last act of defiance, the Angel grabbed Unit 01 and held it against itself as it exploded in a low-yield nuclear radius.

Unit 01 simply walked away.

* * *

Shinji awoke in a hospital bed. = Was that a dream? I remember my arm feeling like it was getting ripped off of me. =

He wasn't connected to an intravenous device or a pulse monitor, so he simply got out of the bed. After walking out to the window, he heard another hospital crew transporting a mobile bed…That blue haired girl was on it, again. = She looks even more hurt than before. = He had no clue where he was, and he returned to bed. = At least this place doesn't really smell like hospital. =

After surveying the blast zone, Misato gave the Commander a call. "Katsuragi here, no sign of the Angel's core; it fully detonated…Yes sir, we will take blood samples. Thank you."

Ritsuko walked up to her; "I've got some good news, hospital orderly found Shinji awake and active."

"That's great and all, but the Commander wants us to bottle dead Angel blood."

Ritsuko simply deadpanned, "I love cleanup."

* * *

"Wakey Wakey Shinji!"

Shinji awoke to Misato hovering over him.

"Misato, what happened to me?"

"You beat the angel, Second Lieutenant Ikari!"

"…Who, Ikari"

"You've been officially instated as a Pilot Officer in NERV's Evangelion Program. With that comes the base rank of 2Lt. and a monthly stipend of 300,000 Yen."

"I don't get what you guys are talking about. I'm 14! Since when are kids allowed to fight in wars?"

"Well, the UN rescinded the Child Defense prohibition when the Evas' started activating; something about an adult's mind being too clouded and impure to operate an Eva's neural net."

"So with that out of the way, you're getting your new schedule, an apartment, and a new school with lots of opportunities to meet pretty girls…Oh! That reminds me, it was So Chivalrous to protect and comfort Rei like that, Prince Charming!"

Shinji stuttered, "M-m-Misato! I wasn't thinking of hitting on her, she was covered in blood and bandages! What was I supposed to do?"

"Shinji, I'm teasing you, and to answer your question, you're supposed to do whatever you feel is right. Helping Rei was a kind and noble thing; you shouldn't be embarrassed. Now, come with me, let's get your housing arrangements settled!"

* * *

"The 117 building!? Those are the lousiest dorm rooms this complex has!" Misato was chewing out the human resources representative when Shinji got his assignment.

"Misato, don't worry, I'm fine wherever they send me."

"Not here, you aren't. If they won't give you a decent hangout, you're staying with me in the upper city. I've got a four-bedroom apartment with 3 empties, so there's plenty of room for two new roommates to get along! Ooh! I've got it! We're gonna go buy a bunch of junk food and have a housewarming party!"

= Misato can go from a Military Officer to acting less mature than I am in the blink of an eye… = Shinji sarcastically thought to himself.

"So I asked him to live with me…It's not like I'm going to seduce him or anything." Misato was on the phone with Ritsuko when she took one joke a little too far…

"WELL I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU WOULDN'T YOU SHAMELESS NYMPHOMANIAC HE IS A 14 YEAR OLD BOY I WOULDN'T BE OUT OF MY MIND IF I TURNED YOU INTO THE POLICE RIGHT NOW!"

"…You really need to learn a sense of humor…"

* * *

"Let me stop us on this turn here…"

Misato had Shinji get out of the car on a cliff overlook at the edge of Tokyo-3.

"Look out over the city, Shinji, there are 133 Milllion people in Tokyo-3, and you just protected them all."

A siren sounded. The earth shook. The massive towers of Tokyo-3 grew out of the flat dome.

"That really is incredible, Misato."

= But why do I feel like I didn't help anybody? =

* * *

"Welcome home, Shinji! So the place is a chaotic mess, but it's only like that because I just moved in before I picked you up. Now let's get this stuff cooked up and dig in!"

"Are you sure that this microwave stuff is healthy, Misato?"

"Of course it isn't! It's party food. If you're that worried about eating right then you do the cooking for us and I'll wash dishes, but I expect it to taste really good. On the matter of health, your new schedule requires you to go to Advanced Junior High Class 2-A during school hours. Each afternoon you'll be training with NERV. You have Simulator time twice a week and Eskrima three times."

"Eskrima?"

"It's a Filipino martial art that specializes in knife-fighting. You'll need it to use the Progressive Knife well during a combat sortie. Ever done any sport fighting, Shinji?

"Sensei had me practice Aikido until I came here, but I didn't do it for sport."

"Well then, the exercise shouldn't be too difficult or different. And that makes it settled, you start school tomorrow, comprehensive training in the afternoon, and you crash in bed late at night just like I do!"

* * *

A/N: The Eskrima mention, besides being awesome, was included to set up a few 'peacetime' scenes in the future, so that's some shameless padding right there.


	6. Chapter 5: New Kid

Answers:

textdump: as much as I hate to use this excuse, watch the Sachiel fight over a couple of times…in the series not that much really happens. Basically, Shinji gets his ass kicked then Eva 01 goes berserk. I really couldn't think of a way to pad the fight out more than what I came up with, but I'm going to try to be more descriptive in the next ones.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 5: New Kid

* * *

"Did you visit Rei in the hospital today, Commander?"

"Yes I did; she should be discharged soon. How is her condition?"

"Well, the growth acceleration program got her physically and mentally old enough to meet the Unit 00 activation test deadline, but it's left her anemic and frail. She is in constant risk of internal and external bleeding and bone fractures. Regular LCL exposure and anti-rejection medication is staving off the effects, but I don't feel comfortable stringing the girl out on Neuropazine for the rest of her life."

"The program can end as soon as she and Unit 00 have a stable sync history, Ritsuko."

* * *

"All right, Shinji, how does the simulator plug feel?"

"I guess training won't alter my video game schedule much." He joked.

Ritsuko almost laughed in response. "Trust me, after seven or eight hours in the tube, you'll be thoroughly sick of it. Your assignment for today is to observe and memorize the computer-assisted targeting system. The Eva can automatically locate the core in an Angel's body. It will present you with a shooting solution, when there aren't any external factors, the Eva will always target a kill shot."

"…Isn't a battle nothing but external factors?"

"Shut up and shoot at the target Shinji."

= Center in on the target and pull the trigger. =

The virtual rifle peppered the graphic model of the Fourth Angel, causing it to pixelate and disappear.

"Good enough Shinji, you'll be repeating this drill for the remainder of the evening."

= She's right. I do already hate it. =

* * *

Shinji was walking the halls of his new Junior High, SDAT music player looping the same song, when he was blindsided by a fist in his left cheekbone.

"Sorry, new kid, but I had to take that out on someone." A tall boy in a track suit growled out.

His short, freckled companion ran up, helped Shinji to his feet, and told Shinji "I'm Kensuke. Don't take Touji personally; he's been really depressed since his little sister got hurt in that battle last week."

Shinji was too taken aback to hold his tongue, a decision that let slip one too many details; "What? I'm sorry! I didn't even want to pilot it!"

Touji heard him, stopped, did an about face, and gave an arrogant reply: "You shouldn't have said that, new kid, I was all ready to leave you alone, and then it turns out you're one of those pilot freaks!"

He rushed at Shinji, and time seemed to slow down as Shinji's five years of self-defense came into focus. = "An unskilled opponent will mask ignorance with arrogance and anger. Your restraint is the weapon that you will use against him." = He remembered his Aikido master's words to him.

= He's got no self-control; he's just running wildly at me with a raised fist…his high center of gravity leaves me to force him around backwards and down… =

Touji tried throwing a rageful punch, only to find his wrist bound by Shinji's hand, with an arm shoving his chest and his legs caught around Shinji's own. He spiraled into the ground, landing confused and surprised at the stick-thin kid in front of him.

"Please, I don't want to fight you! It's just…I'm sorry I hurt your sister, but if I didn't fight that thing then none of us would be here for you to be pissed off at!"

Touji felt sick, this new kid just kicked his ass and made him look like a stupid caveman.

From a couple of floors above, a certain bandaged girl saw Shinji absorb the punch and then respond with a skilled display of defense.

= He appears to be qualified to defend himself; why did the Commander call me and tell me that this 'Spare' failed? =

* * *

Shinji silently drifted into 2-A, saw Touji and Kensuke glaring at him, and avoiding contact with anyone else that he could cause a problem for, walked to the rear corner of the class. He sat down and didn't realize that Rei was in the seat in front of him. He simply opened his laptop computer and buried his gaze in it.

"Rise, bow, sit."

Shinji opened his laptop, and an instant messenger window popped up.

_RailGun_

'_Hey, Shinji, you've gotta tell us what it's like!'_

_Ikari01_

'_What is what like? Getting into a fight on your first day of school? It sucks.'_

_RailGun_

'_Look, Touji will apologize as soon as he starts feeling better. But you know I mean what's the giant robot like? It must be awesome!_

_Ikari01_

'_Okay, Kensuke, two things. One, I don't even remember piloting it at this point; and Two, you're asking for classified information over a school message system. Do you not think anybody is listening to us? You're going to get us both arrested. Probably shot, too._

—_Ikari01 signoff—_

Shinji was on the sunlit roof of the school building during his lunch break when he saw a cloud of blue hair enter his vision.

"There's been an emergency, we have to go." She ran off after delivering the message.

* * *

Out to sea, another alien being was levitating its way to shore. In NERV control, the bridge crews were pulling a video inspection of the target.

"MAGI confirms a Code: Blue. It's definitely the next angel" Aoba reported.

= It seriously looks like a flying jellyfish = Misato thought to herself. = Somebody tell me that this is a joke. = "Give me a status on the Pilots!" she called out.

"Ma'am, Ikari's getting plugged as we speak; Ayanami's on her way to the bridge."

"The JASDF has begun surface-to-air missile barrage!"

Ritsuko stated what everyone else was thinking when she said "Don't those public-sector idiots know how much taxpayer money they're wasting?"

"Enemy AT field is intercepting the missiles. Unit 01 is prepped for launch!"

* * *

Kensuke dragged Touji away from the orderly school evacuation.

"C'mon, man you've gotta get Hikari to let us out of here!"

"And say what to her, huh? 'Hey class rep, we're just gonna go watch the robot fight and get killed.'"

"Just ask to go to the bathroom and then pick the lock to the exit; I saw you break into the girl's locker room, I know you can do it!"

"You will never tell that to anyone, understand. God you're pushy. Hey class rep! We gotta take a leak!"

Hikari was naturally suspicious of the pair "Seriously, now of all times?"

"Yeah, it sucks doesn't it?"

"Just go…"

* * *

"All right, it's the main event!" Kensuke said as he focused his camera on the levitating Angel.

"…Is it a jellyfish?" Touji had no idea what he was looking at.

"All those missiles are just exploding in the middle of nowhere, they aren't even hitting it! Oh, man this footage is gonna be great!" Kensuke was basking in the middle of an otaku's wet dream when he saw the massive purple-green robot shoot out of the ground.

"That's the Eva unit! It's incredible! Shinji's gonna kick the Angel's ass! Come on Touji, up on the hill, I need to get a higher shot."

Ritsuko radioed in to the Eva. "Shinji, after your AT fields interact, you will both become vulnerable. Before it gets within striking range, empty your pallet's magazine into the visible core. We've determined that it will be somewhere underneath the creature's 'Cobra Hood'. You'll understand that description when you see the Angel."

= Center in on the target and pull the trigger. =

Shinji turned out of the elevator and immediately unloaded his ammunition into the Angel.

"Dammit Shinji, you fired too early! Target's been obscured by powder smoke. What's your ammo load?"

"Uhh… send me a full magazine, I fired everything…oops."

"Fine, it's coming up on an elevator. Ritsuko, we need an AT field status!"

"The field is still up, repeat, field is still up! Shinji, move forward and wait for the fields to interact this time! I need you danger close to that thing!"

Shinji focused his nerves and willed Unit 01 forward, walking directly up to what could be described as the Angel's head…and stopped in fright as he saw what he could only describe as the Angel's exposed ribcage, spread open with its bones making a biting motion towards him.

Aoba noticed his vitals accelerating; "Pilot has accelerated pulse and respiration, adrenaline detected in his bloodstream! He's panicking!"

Misato cut in "Get a hold of yourself, Shinji! I don't care how scary it looks; you're in position, get your knife out and kill that thing!

As it turns out, it was too late for a pep talk; while Shinji was reacting to the grotesque sight in front of him, the Angel extended two burning whips from its shoulder protrusions and began slicing the air in front of Unit 01. Shinji snapped back into reality and leaped backwards to the waiting ammo elevator, which was promptly sliced in half by the whips.

"All right Shinji, we don't have time for more ammo now," Misato commanded, "focus entirely on a knife kill!"

Shinji never got a chance as the Angel's whips sliced at him again, severing the power cable.

Maya reported the bad news, "Unit 01 operating on internal power, 5 minutes until shutdown!"

Ritsuko began to organize a field refit. "Shinji, retreat and we'll get you another power coupling."

He didn't get the chance to run because the angel wrapped its whips around Unit 01's wrist and ankle and fired it like a slingshot through the air into the nearby hillside, where the unit's massive left hand landed with two high-school age kids between its fingers. Shinji, shaken, looked around to shake off his disorientation, when his video identification picked up the two spectators at ground level. The unit automatically ran a recognition program and broadcasted the two boy's identities to NERV HQ and to Unit 01's entry plug.

= Touji and Kensuke…they should be in a shelter, when did they get away from Hikari? = Shinji thought as Misato confirmed the boy's information. The Angel continued levitating towards the power-draining unit and drew its whips back for a stabbing blow, only for both whips to be caught by Unit 01's hands.

"Why doesn't he attack it?" Touji asked nobody out loud.

"He's probably trying to protect us!" Kensuke answered

"Plasma burns on Unit 01's gloves! Its hands are burning as we speak!" Maya reported.

"Shinji, open the plug, get those civilians inside!"

He raised his entry plug, opened its hatch and extended an emergency ladder; Misato announced on a loudspeaker for the two boys to climb the rope and get in.

*SPLASH*

"What the hell is this stuff?!" Touji reacted to the deionized LCL in the open plug, while Kensuke reacted to the short-circuited camera in his hands, his video footage drowned in the electrified liquid-gas. Shinji threw the plasma whips away from Unit 01, its hands burned down to the skin.

"30 seconds of power remaining!

"All, right Shinji, retreat to a safe distance and we'll regroup."

= No, I'm not running away! =

Shinji stood the Eva up, drew the knife and started grinding down the mountainside towards the waiting Angel down below. He and Unit 01 roared in unison as the Angel drew its whips back for an easy strike. They stabbed each other at the same moment; Unit 01 still having the upper hand. Shinji cried in pain while twisting the progressive knife inside the core.

"5…4…3…2…1, Unit 01 has shut down. We have confirmed the Fifth Angel's core detonation, Shinji did it!"

Misato fumed while the bridge staff celebrated. = Damn that boy. =

* * *

Unit 01 had been dragged back into NERV HQ, and Misato confronted Shinji in the locker room.

"Shinji, I gave you a direct order to retreat. Why did you disobey me?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough, dammit, explain yourself."

"I don't know…I decided that I wasn't going to run away again…"

"What you should have done was listen to me."

"If I did that, the Angel would still be out there, and I'd get my ass kicked twice."

"Shinji, I don't care if you beat the Angel back there. You will obey your superior officers, do you understand?"

"You know what, I don't. If I listened, the base would be under attack right now, and I'd be letting more innocent people get hurt topside. You told me to do what I think is right. Touji's little sister is in the hospital because of me, and I'm not going to be the cause of anything else like that!"

"Dammit, Shinji. If you want to bet your own life, fine, but that Eva does not belong to you. If you keep writing these checks your underdeveloped ego can't cash, you're going to put us all 6 feet under!"

"Ok, I'll do differently next time…"

"'Doing differently' isn't good enough, Shinji, I want you to obey your ranking officers."

"Fine."

"Fine!? I am one of those ranking officers, and I demand respect same as anybody else here."

"Alright, I understand Ma'am. You're talking to me like I know this. I'm not a trained soldier like you."

She grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and raised her hand back. Shinji simply averted his eyes and waited for the strike.

Misato froze, let go of him, lowered her voice, and said "Just go home, Shinji. I'll be working late tonight.

"Yes Ma'am. I'll head home." He started on his way back. The sound of a slap came from the locker room after Shinji left Misato as the only occupant.

* * *

A/N: This one was actually a complete pain to write. So please criticize, review, offer insight, flame, because I need the advice.


	7. Chapter 6: Go Home Shinji

Answers:

Akuma, Thanks for reviewing. I answered some of your questions via PM

Fanus: That was one of many moments that Misato pissed me off.

* * *

Disclaimer: See prologue

Chapter 6: Go Home Shinji

* * *

= Misato told me to go home, and she wants me to obey her. = Shinji had a sick chuckle at his twisted logic while the subway train he was riding passed into downtown Tokyo-3, five stations before Misato's outskirts apartment. SDAT player looping continually, he disembarked and started wandering Tokyo-3's entertainment district. His ability to get around unnoticed was quite apparent, with nary a soul acknowledging the 14 year old boy moving around and in between the movie theaters, nightclubs, and casino buildings. He found an untouched alleyway around midnight where he slept until the light of the next day forced him awake.

"Well, it seems our newest student is absent today," the old schoolteacher noticed that morning, "Miss Ayanami, are you aware of any business for Mr. Ikari today?"

"No, I do not know where he is."

"I suppose he can be forgiven just this once…"

Shinji returned to the downtown station and rode the train out to the edge of town, leaving the suburb connector station and walking on foot to the overlook where Misato took him after his first fight. He started unloading his problems to himself and the air around him.

"Saved 133 million people…yeah right. I get beat up in school for winning my first fight, and berated by Misato for winning the second. Every time I get in the Eva, it just hurts; and every time I fight, people hate me for it…heh, Misato was practically worshiping me after I killed that first angel, what happened since then? I may as well not even go to school, it's not like Rei and I are friends. I wouldn't even know her name if Misato didn't tell me."

= Just go home Shinji… = "Yeah, I am," he said to himself as he started walking along the road heading to the neighboring city of Edo. "Maybe Sensei will understand that I don't belong at NERV."

That walk would have taken two days, but Shinji found himself in darkness at the destroyed bridge over the river between the two cities. = I have no idea which Angel did this, but there's no way I'd be able to cross that water. I really don't have any choice; I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I've got nowhere else I can go…=

"All right, I know you pricks are following me!" he turned around into the night, shouting to the hidden NERV security. "Just take me back to Misato already!"

* * *

Misato walked into the interrogation room where Shinji was delivered.

"Feel better after your little walk? Was it worth it?" She said with venom on her lips.

"Not really, but it doesn't matter does it? You guys win, I'm the body inside the Eva Unit. What else do you need out of me?"

"Shut up, piloting that Eva was a choice you made, and it's one you continue to make when you came back here, if you want to leave, that's fine, you're free to go whenever you want."

Shinji, now legitimately sick of being cut down in every conversation, decided to see just how far Misato can go.

"You really believe your own bullshit, don't you? Those Section 2 pricks will have already briefed you on what happened before you came in here. My home is on a remote island now, it's not like I can just up and fly away. If I could have made it all the way, I would have. I came back here because I have too much self-respect to rot in the streets! I really don't have a choice, and you know it. I'm the Eva pilot here, and I was brought in—by you people—to kill Angels, and I'm going to do that however I have to, even if it means risking your robot!"

"I will not discuss my military philosophy with a child!"

"Yeah you will, because you're losing and you know it! You legitimately couldn't believe that I of all people would do what's right over what's easy, and now you're eating yourself up over it; I can see it in your eyes, Misato!"

"Just…just come home, Shinji. We need you here."

"I thought I already was."

* * *

A/N: Short, wasn't it? The interrogation is based on 1.11, and I felt it warranted a deeper discussion ( see Anno? I can do philosophy too. ) and its own page, if only so I could squeeze more Shinji/Rei stuff in the next chapter.


	8. Chapter 7: Rei

Disclaimer: See prologue

Chapter 7: Rei

* * *

"Look, just do it or we'll never get off on the right foot!"

"Touji means it, Shinji, just hit him and get it over with."

"I've told you before, I don't want to fight you-"

"Yeah, yeah, just get us on even ground and we can shut up about it."

Shinji punched Touji in the lower jaw, and the jock reacted with continued surprise at the scrawny boy's strength.

"Okray, nowsh were eben" he garbled around his throbbing chin. He massaged his head for a while and continued. "I'm sorry I slugged you the other day, me and Kensuke think what you did for us in that Angel fight was incredible, and we want to hang out with you from now on."

Shinji didn't know how to respond to that; did he just make friends?

* * *

Phys Ed period had the girls swimming laps and the boys playing basketball. All the guys on the bench were staring dumbly up at the all the swimsuited girls at the distant swimming complex, well, until they were caught, anyway.

"Eeww, the boys are gawking at us again, PERVERTS! Look over at Touji and his beady little eyes!"

Shinji was off to the side, not really contributing to or lessening the problem, because his attention was held by one specific individual, also off the side by herself.

"Hey Shinji," Kensuke slunk up next to him, "what are you staring so intently at?"

"He's totally ogling Rei! Admit it man, you've got it bad for her, don't you?" Touji joined in poking the bear.

"Not like we can blame him, just think about it! Ayanami's milky thighs, her curved calves, her heavy bre-"

"No wonder the girls will never talk to you two!" Shinji shut down their hormone-injected rambling. "I don't care about Rei's looks, I care that she always looks so alone…"

"You know, she really hasn't made any friends since she transferred here a few years ago…She's an Eva pilot too, right? You should know her better than anyone, Shinji."

"Well, you might think I would, but we never talk, not even about piloting."

* * *

"Oh, hi Dr. Ritsuko," Shinji said on his way into the apartment.

"Evening, Shinji, it's nice to see you and Misato patched things up.

"Well, we realized fighting each other wouldn't help us fight angels any better!" Misato cheerfully shouted from the kitchen.

Ritsuko nudged over to Shinji "She's already had several, and she's been babbling like an idiot all afternoon."

"I HEARD THAT! You'd better be happy I love you both enough to cook for everyone tonight!"

Much like a train wreck, Shinji and Ritsuko were appalled by the food Misato brought out, but they couldn't look away from it.

"Misato," Shinji asked, "is that curry sauce poured onto curry sauce?"

Misato's other roommate, PenPen, usually had a pretty strong constitution, but when he ate some of the curry…slime that Misato plopped down for him, he tumbled out of the apartment and threw up down over the stairway railing, directly onto the Section 2 night guard's head.

"Now that the mood's been set," Ritsuko observed, "I've got a present for you, Shinji." She handed him an ID badge with his picture. "That functions as your top-secret security clearance and as a secure credit account, linked to your NERV stipend balance. Don't spend it all on junk food, now. Wait, that reminds me, I forgot to give Rei's to her during her checkup today. Would you be a sweetie and give it to her on your way in to the Sync Test tomorrow?"

Shinji started hyperventilating. "Uhh…Uh…yea…yeash…shure…imean…yesiwilldoitforyou…"

Ritsuko warmly smiled at the obvious school-age crush while Misato exploded in laughter, "Well, well, well, my little Shinji is growing up, isn't he! Already has his sight on a girl and everything!"

"MISATO! Cut it out!"

"But Shinji, you're so easy to get a reaction out of!"

Ritsuko joined in the mockery; "But nowhere as easy as it is to make fun of you, Misato."

"Dr. Akagi, you know Rei better than we do, is she always so…aloof?"

"She's a really sweet, nice girl when she knows and trusts you, she's just doesn't really know how to live a real life. She was the First Child identified by the Marduk Report, taken in by NERV when she was young. Unlike you, Shinji, she's a real orphan, no family or historical records whatsoever. Commander Ikari was the only real influence on her for years, and she's completely loyal to him, especially after the activation test rescue."

"I read about that, my dad was involved?"

"Officially, his participation was written out, but in reality, he got Rei out of the crashed entry plug by hand."

"And that's why she trusts him so much, right?"

"Well, it's the latest in a line of things he's done for her, but yes."

* * *

"…Apartment 402. This building is falling apart." Shinji ringed the broken doorbell to no effect, and knocked forcefully with no answer. He opened the unlocked door and stopped for a moment in the kitchen hallway. "Rei! Are you home, it's Shinji, I have a delivery for you." He went ahead into the main room and saw the dust-covered floor and walls, old and damaged bed, and the small refrigerator and medicine chest. = Why would Rei want to live in a place like this? Maybe I'll just drop the card off and go. = He walked over to her clothes dresser and saw a pair of broken glasses. = I've never seen her wear these before. = Shinji reached to pick them up as his Sensei's words from years past filled his head = "Shinji, you aren't allowed to take things that don't belong to you, you have to learn the difference between right and wrong." = "You're right, Sensei," Shinji said to nobody as he withdrew his hand. He heard a door shut, turned around, and started choking on his own drool.

Rei was standing behind him, slippers on her feet and hair wrapped up in a towel, but other that, the only thing she was wearing was air.

"R-r-Re-Rei," Shinji was gurgling out, he quickly whipped around, facing away from her, "you were in the s-shower, s-sorry, keep getting dressed."

"Pilot Ikari, what are you doing here?"

"Uhh…uhh…The Card! Ritsuko had me deliver this to you!" He eventually remembered, as he tried to blink away the image of the beautiful girl that walked in on him. "Where did I put it?"

Rei walked by him, uncaringingly giving him a view of her slim shoulders and shapely legs, took the glasses he was staring at and walked over to her school dress, laid out for another drab day in her existence. She walked out of the room by the time Shinji found her new identification, and he ran out after her when he heard her door shut.

* * *

As she made her way into the ground-level NERV entrance, she was held up at the automated security gate, the card she was carrying would not pass the security swipe. Shinji walked up behind her and ran her new card before offering it to her. "Like I was trying to say, all of our accounts were reset, Ritsuko had me get your new badge." She snatched it from his hand and went through the gate, the door closing in his face.

He caught up to her on the massive escalator going down into the complex, and felt the need to ask her about the day's programs.

"I know your new activation test is today, Rei, are you worried about it?"

"What should I worry for?"

"Well, I heard the test went bad last time, and you really got hurt in it."

"As Commander Ikari's son, do you not believe in your father's work?"

"Uh no, I've never believed in him, how could I!?"

Rei about-faced, stepped up to Shinji, swung her open hand, and Shinji's trained reflexes took over his body.

= She's trying to slap me, she thinks I insulted dad! Bend backwards, block her hand! =

Rei watched as Shinji moved into a balanced backbend and shot his right hand into the air, catching her own. Shinji slowly recoiled, loosening his hold on her but not letting go.

"Rei, Dr. Akagi told me how close you and my dad are, I understand if that comment made you mad, but you have to realize, he sent me away when I was three years old. I envy the relationship you two have, I'm jealous of you for that, but I'm just not capable of trusting him yet."

He let her go and walked past her to the locker rooms as she contemplated his statements.

"He feels that I am his father's replacement for him. He is depressed because of it, but, when his hand took my own, it felt warm…alive?"

She looked gently at Gendo's broken glasses as she fit her plugsuit for the test. When she entered the Eva loading pools, Shinji was already syncing with Unit 01. He saw his father make his way to Unit 00, and Rei practically glowing as she talked to him.

= Ritsuko was right, she does come alive when he's around. = He issued a voice command, "Magnify. 8X" He watched the two conversing. = I've never said that many words to dad, ever…=

"Alright, Rei, are you ready?" Gendo asked.

"Yes, Commander Ikari."

"Begin Unit 00 reactivation."

The test went smoothly, Rei looked again at the glasses hanging from the plug controls. She smiled and breathed in and out, feeling safe in her Unit for the first time.

* * *

A/N: Why did you change the apartment scene!? I hear you all asking. I just couldn't believe that Shinji had never been taught to keep his hands to himself.


	9. Chapter 8: Fire

Answers:

Fanus-I know the Eva fanbois are going to hate me for it, but I've never liked the apartment scene (and I'm a Rei Fan!). I've never understood why Shinji's first instinct when making himself a guest in Rei's home is to snatch her property off the shelf and start playing with it, so I really couldn't stop myself from rewriting the scene. But I at least think I did it well, anyway.

* * *

Disclaimer: See prologue

Chapter 8: Fire

* * *

"Commander, unidentified flying object approaching from the Sea of Japan!"

"Feed reconnaissance data to the MAGI and wait for pattern analysis."

"Video feed established. It looks like a gemstone of some sort."

"Preliminary analysis returning 'Blue'. Tentative identity as sixth angel confirmed!"

"Three weeks in between attacks, that was quite the respite." Fuyutsuki mused out loud to his protégé.

"Yes, the next attack was only getting more likely each passing day…Send Unit 01 out to meet it! Unit 00 will be held in reserve."

"A-10 established, are you ready for launch, Shinji?"

"Yeah, ready. Send me out."

Ritsuko got nods of approval from Misato and the Commander. "Launch Unit 01!"

Maya reported "The Angel's body is opening up…Zooming video…The core is the exact center of the body…It appears to be absorbing some form of energy. The body is forming a parabolic arc behind the core, which must mean it's directing the energy towards the elevator! Dr. Akagi, bring Unit 01's AT field online!"

Maya's analysis proceeded to save the lives of Unit 01 and Shinji. By the time the elevator breached Tokyo-3, the Angel was firing a stream of plasma through several skyscrapers and melting the stone mountainside behind the city.

"Unit 01 AT field is burning!"

"Lower the elevator! Get the Eva back and regroup!" Misato ordered.

Makoto Hyuga reported the collapsing situation, "We can't! The elevator rails are melting! AT Field failure! The plasma is breaching Unit 01's armor."

Shinji's voice overtook the bridge with an unrestrained scream while Aoba read the latest medical report. "LCL temperature at 100 Centigrade, it's boiling inside the plug!"

"Fire the plug! Get the pilot out of there."

"Negative," Gendo overruled. "If we fire the plug, the pilot will die and the unit will be destroyed."

Misato was at a loss while Shinji's screams continued, until a light ignited in her head

"Detonate the explosive bolts on Shinji's sector! Drop the whole city block!"

Unit 01, Shinji, and a piece of Tokyo-3 fell out of the Angel's stream. It stopped firing and closed back into its diamond shape.

"Extract the core! Engage automatic medical systems! Provide pilot life support!"

Shinji's plugsuit began reading and reporting his vital signs to Aoba, "He's going into fibrillation, give cardiac support!" The suit shocked Shinji through his chest and injected a measure of synthetic adrenaline into his blood. "Pilot pulse and respiration are both weak! Diagnose for advanced hyperthermia! Get him out of the LCL and into a cooling chamber!" Steaming LCL flooded out of the opened entry plug and a nursing crew stripped Shinji of the soaked plugsuit and loaded him into a refrigerated hospital bed to take him into NERV's hospital burn ward.

* * *

The Angel reached the Tokyo-3's center city and drew its crystalline body downward into a spiral, cutting through the ground as it rotated.

"All right people, what do we know about this thing?" Misato asked during her briefing. Hyuga and Ritsuko provided the bulk of information.

"Apparently this Angel has two primary forms of attack. Its first it the plasma stream, which casts particles burning at 28000 Centigrade with an estimated range of 19 kilometers; the second is the Angel's crystalline body. It's comprised of a liquid crystal that, when formed into a solid plane, moves higher on Moh's hardness scale than industrial diamond. The Angel is currently using the crystal as a drill to bore into Tokyo-3's shell, and the MAGI estimate all 22 layers of armor to be breached by 2 AM tomorrow morning. Combine the armor with the AT field, and there is nothing we can use to hit it. Having said that, the body opens up and reveals the Angel's core whenever it attacks, leaving an opening it its armor to put a precise shot through. The UN is currently pushing to have our HQ self-destruct, as the Level Triple-E charges in the facilities base are enough to destroy it…"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Don't those idiots know what happens if this base goes up?! What are our other options?"

Hyuga offered an answer. "If we can trick the Angel into opening up for us, we only need to contend with the AT field. We could send a cruise missile barrage with N2 warheads towards it, but there's no guarantee of AT field collapse…Hey, if everything else fails, we could send up a white flag."

"I want to try something else before we pull a France and surrender. What happened to those JSDF research papers we stole?

"We've still got them…you don't really think…?"

"Yes I do. Set me up a hotline to the Army Department's central command.

* * *

Shinji woke up in NERV's hospital recovery to the sound of a book being snapped shut. "…Rei, you came to see me in here?"

"I have already received our orders. At 2200 tonight, Pilots Ikari and Ayanami report to the Nagashima substation for presortie briefings. At 2300, Units 00 and 01 are placed into their staging areas. At 00-00 hours tomorrow, Operation Yashima is activated."

Shinji's head flooded with memories of heat and fire. "I…I can't get back in there; all I can think about is everything burning." He looked up at Rei, "Why am I feeling like this?"

"You can't pilot again?"

"It's not that I can't but, I've never felt like I knew the exact moment I was going to die before…I can't handle that kind of fear. I don't know what to do about it!"

"…If you are afraid of fighting, don't come tonight. I will fight the Angel." She turned and left. "Rei! Wait!"

* * *

Professor Fuyutsuki was rather impressed with Misato's solution. "She managed to commandeer a linear antimatter accelerator from the Land Self Defense Force, and wants to build it into the old Naval fortress overlooking Tokyo-3's harbor. She plans to reroute power from substations across Japan into a single point to create a positron stream powerful enough to burn through the Angel's AT field and it's exposed core, if it doesn't cause a planet-wise matter/antimatter collapse first. I am, however concerned with using Unit 01 as the operator. The pilot's mental state is…fragile at best considering the result of the last round of negotiations with our visitor. I doubt he will be willing to climb back in it."

Gendo answered; "If he does not, we will simply use Rei."

"Commander, you know Rei cannot handle Unit 01 yet, her sync with Unit 00 is still too weak to order to cross pilot, and the dummy-plug experiments are failing consistently."

"Then we had better hope that Misato can persuade the Third Child…"

* * *

Misato was trying to collect Shinji to leave for the forward base, but he was refusing to move forward with his portion of the operation.

"Misato, if it means my resignation or dismissal, I don't care anymore. I can't handle what happened with this Angel. It didn't just hurt; I wasn't completely safe inside Unit 01 like I was with the other Angels, I was being BOILED ALIVE! That's how they tortured and murdered people in the Dark Ages! You've never had to experience fear like that and then wake up alive afterwards, so no, I can't do it."

Misato had been underestimating the boy's perception quite a bit lately. She knew that everything he said was logically sound and technically correct, but she also knew that the Angels were not enemies that were bound to logic and accuracy.

"Shinji, come with me." She took his hand and started walking him to the express lift. "Everyone who serves in NERV signs a suicide pact with each other. If we should ever fail, should an Angel make it to Terminal Dogma in Level EEE, then the facility activates a network of strategic nuclear warheads and self-destructs. Everybody here is willing to die to save the world from another Impact, and I'm bringing you down here to show you why."

The lift opened up to a massive sea of LCL, with a human-looking giant speared to an iron cross in the center.

"M-Misato, what is that?"

"You're looking at the Second Angel, Lillith. Lillith's DNA is the fabric for every form of life on Earth. We have to protect her. If an Angel unites with Lillith, their resulting hybrid-being will kill every living thing on the planet. NERV will die before we let that happen, and it's been up to you and Rei to keep it from getting that far."

"I understand all of this, but that isn't helping me get over the fear of going back up against the Angel."

"Then don't get over it. You should be doing the exact opposite—embracing that fear. That fear should show you why you need to fight, because you have the power to help other people feel safe from that fear. I know you, Shinji. You don't help people for glory or prize money; you help people because you are (not) alone."

* * *

Shinji and Rei were being briefed on the operation at the naval fortress. The Angel could be seen in the background while Ritsuko was filling them in. "Shinji, the Angel can only be eliminated while it's attacking. As such, you will have to wait until after it fires for you to shoot back. We've organized a diversion to get the Angel to shoot at pretty much everything except you, but you must still overcome any fear you have and refuse to move from your sniper post because the positron beam is so delicate that it can be thrown off target by cosmic rays. Just like in the simulator, however, the shooting solution is calculated by the computer and you only have to pull the trigger."

"But even if I get burned again, I can't run away?"

"Don't say things like that. Rei is going to be operating Unit 00 with a portable blast shield. She'll be the one in charge of handling a counterattack. Your purpose, Shinji is completely offensive in nature. It's up to you to put your shot in the core. Now go get plugged, we're activating soon.

"Right"

"Yes."

* * *

The temporary locker rooms were inadequate, to say the least. Shinji could easily see Rei's outline and profile through the flimsy divider, and it made him notice just how uncomfortable and tight his plugsuit was.

"Rei, if either of us gets hurt or killed out ther-"

"That will not happen. I'll be protecting you. I will not let you be harmed."

Shinji couldn't keep his own thoughts in his head as they prepared to enter their Units. = She has no concern at all for the danger, but all I can do is worry, how does she handle it? =

"Listen, Rei, why do you pilot your Eva?"

"Because it's a bond."

"…A bond?"

"Yes. It's what joins me to everyone else in our world."

"…Everytime I pilot it, it just feels like I hurt people or drive them away. I wish it could bond people to me."

"It will. Those people you wish to be close to will have to first see what you give them, what you sacrifice every time you fight the Angels."

"…You're stronger than I am, Rei."

"That's because the Eva is all I have. It's time to activate. Goodbye."

He watched, fascinated, as she left for Unit 00. He noticed she was holding those glasses she had in her apartment. = So those things remind her of my dad? =

* * *

In NERV HQ, Misato watched as a clock ticked before midnight.

"What's the status on the drill?"

Hyuga gave the latest report, "So far, it's gotten through 19 layers and is boring into layer 20 as we speak."

"Then let's get to it. Blackout the city and charge the Rifle. Begin surface-to-air missile bracketing!"

The missile batteries built into the Tokyo-3 launched their weapons in a wave, with the final formation completely surrounding the geodesic Angel, which awakened, opened its core, and streamed plasma into the missile swarm. The fortress's new substation began routing electricity into the mounted cannon, and Shinji slid Unit 01 into a prone position behind it. "Ultra Magnification, 40X. Broadcast A-10 data to MAGI."

Inside HQ, Misato ordered the next wave of diversion attacks while Ritsuko fed Shinji's interface into the supercomputers, giving them the equivalent perspective to Unit 01 at the fortress.

Maya gave the final correction, "Gravity and Magnetism elevation +0.0009. Zero-distance 19 Kilometers."

Misato gave Shinji firing permission "Unit 01, MAGI have presented a shooting solution. Proceed whenever you're ready."

Shinji fired, the massive cannon burned through the internal fuse while reversing the charge in particles being fed to it. The positron stream exited the accelerator at 99.92% the speed of light, puncturing the Angel's AT field and grazing its core. A torrent of blood spilled out its body and it reformed into a polygonal cone facing the fortress.

"Shot connected, target remains!" Hyuga reported, "The cannon is cooling, target is preparing to return fire!"

"Get Rei in position, protect the cannon!"

Unit 00 moved into the cannon's line of fire and picked up the ceramic heat shield. The Angel released its stream, and Unit 01 was ripped off of the ground and flew into the nearby hillside, landing on its back.

"Status Report: Cannon is undamaged. Unit 00 AT Field is intact, the heat shield is burning. Angel is recharging its stream and preparing to place a second shot." Hyuga reported and Aoba continued "Unit 01 Pilot is shaken but alive, plug LCL temperature is unchanged."

"SHINJI!" Misato yelled "Get it together and get back into position." He struggled to roll to the Eva's chest and began crawling across the ground. = I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. =

"This is taking too long. Withdraw Unit 01 and move Unit 00 into the firing position!" Commander Ikari demanded.

Misato was not interested in deference this time. "NO! This is Shinji's role here; he is more than capable of finishing this here and now! I'm asking you to have faith in your own son!"

"Do as you see fit."

Shinji crawled back into the shooter's post and installed a new fuse. The Angel fired and Rei raised Unit 00'a AT field to its highest power, quickly learning why Shinji feared this Angel so greatly.

= High and to the right. I have to compensate for that. =

"Ritsuko, zoom me in as far as you as get me!"

"Pilot has switched to manual targeting." Hyuga determined

= Center in on the target and pull the trigger. =

The cannon fired. The stream drilled through the Angel's plasma, its AT field again, and centered the core. The Angel's plasma halted, its shell closed, and the giant crystalline being exploded. Shinji stripped Unit 01 away from the weapon and ran it out to the bay where Unit 00 was fried in place. "Ritsuko, Unit 00's plug is jammed! Rei's trapped inside!"

"Shinji, tear the shell off the spinal port and pull the plug by hand, get her out of there, Rei is conscious, but her LCL is simmering as we speak."

Unit 01 plunged its knife into Unit 00's backplate, causing the entry plug extend through the damaged door. Shinji grabbed it, extracted it from the unit, and splashed it underwater, quickly cooling it. Unit 01 laid it on the shoreline while Shinji climbed down and ran up to the hot blast door. He activated the emergency bolts, blowing the door away from the tube when it opened.

"Rei! Rei, are you awake?"

"…Shinji, why are you doing all of this…?"

His worry relieved, he smirked and answered, "Because I was mad at you…"

She looked confused by that answer as he continued, "Don't ever say that you 'don't have anything else' again, because I'm going to have to prove you wrong."

He reached his hand to her to help her out of the capsule.

"Shinji, I…I don't know what to say or do…how should I react to all this?"

"Don't do anything, then, just smile because we're okay."

She took his advice to heart, and took his hand and accepted his help out of the plug.

"Come on, NERV has to scrape up the Evas, and we have a long walk back to the fortress." He said as he gingerly helped her climb down onto the sand, neither pilot noticing or caring that they hadn't released the other's hand.

* * *

A/N-WOOHOO Episode 6/Rebuild 1 is Down for the count! I'm going to write some filler before we move into Asuka's introduction (I think her rebuild debut is MUCH cooler than her original series introduction) Stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 9: Routine

Disclaimer: See prologue  
Chapter 9: Routine

* * *

Class 2-A was bored and uninterested at the afternoon lecture, and two particular students entertained themselves by tormenting a third about a...coworker, for lack of a better term.

_3pointshot_  
_Tell us, already, are you two going out?_

_Ikari01_  
_No, okay. Just, no. We spend 16 hours a day together between school and piloting; by the end of the day, I just want to go home and she would act totally indifferent if I asked her on a date._

_3pointshot_  
_See, it's perfect! That way you can keep her away from any other guy that gets in your territory._

_Ikari01_  
_Look, Touji, Rei isn't really like you or me. She isn't interested in me or any 'other guy that gets in my territory'._  
_-Ikari01 Signout-_

_RailGun_  
_Wow, that was adamant. Was that denial or hate?_

_3pointshot_  
_I don't know Sukes, but those two are so passive that neither of them would do a thing if they walked in on one another in the shower. Somebody has to do something...I have an idea._

_-2ARep Invited to chat-_  
_Yes, Touji, what is it? I'm trying to focus._

_3pointshot_  
_Easy! I just wanted to know what tomorrow's maintenance assignment is._

_2ARep_  
_Ihaven't issued it yet. Do you want it?_

_3pointshot_  
_No, put Rei and Shinji on it._

_2ARep_  
_And why would I follow your suggestion? What scheme are you up to now, Touji?_

_3pointshot_  
_No scheme, I'm just doing a favor for a friend._

_2ARep_  
_Well, I guess you saved me from the decision...I'll write down that Shinji and Rei were volunteered, and since you're so interested, I'll give it to you next time._

_3pointshot_  
_You're too kind, Hikari._

_-2ARep Signout-_

* * *

A digital representation of the Fourth Angel appeared in the simulator screens.

"All right Shinji, Rei, because of your good coordination during the last attack, the two of you are going to focus on teamwork and support for these next drills. For the first round, Shinji is going to move in and overpower the Angel's AT Field. After the fields are down, Rei is going to take over and destroy the Angel at long range with her sniper rifle. You two will trade roles after the drill is over."

Shinji focused and moved the Virtual Unit 01 up to the Angel and grappled with it as the fields interfered and vanished.

"All, right Rei, the field is down, you're up."

She prepared to fire as the Angel held tight to the virtual Unit 01, the two wrestling in place with Shinji trying to tear himself away.

= I have no time for him to resort to pugilism. = She thought to herself. Firing her weapon, it over-penetrated Unit 01 and detonated the Angel's core. Shinji's pain simulator gave him a series of harmless but very raucous electrical shocks.

Ristuko was almost enjoying herself as she answered sarcastically. "Congratulations, First Lieutenant Ayanami, you just killed both the Angel and Shinji. After you rotate, maybe he won't return the favor."

"Our roles were to overpower the Angel and destroy it. Pilot Ikari only completed half of his objective."

"And in the real world you will have to explain why you shot your fellow Evangelion Unit with a 240 millimeter sabot rifle to internal affairs."

Shinji groaned to himself, the next six hours were going to be a long night.

* * *

"Okay fellow students, today is grounds-keeping day and that means two of you get to stay behind and clean up the class. Let's see, Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami please stay behind and take care of the classroom."

As she was leaving, Shinji stopped Hikari to ask her about the strange coincidence. "Hikari, please tell me who talked you into pairing me and Rei up today."

"I wasn't talked into it, I just needed two people and thought about the time you two spend together. I figured you work well with each other."

"So you weren't egged on by a certain basketball player who feels the need to stick his nose into me and Rei?"

Hikari knew Shinji figured it out. "Okay, fine, it was Touji's idea, he told me to pair you two up as a favor for a friend. I'm guessing he meant you, right?"

"Hikari, I'm not mad or really even bothered by it, but in the future, don't listen to Touji, okay."

As Hikari left, he returned to Rei, still sitting at her desk and contemplating the blue sky outside the window.

"We may as well finish this sooner than later." After he retrieved cleaning supplies from the janitor's closet, Shinji organized desks, took trash away and returned to see Rei somehow half-finished dusting the room.

"Rei, I was gone for roughly five minutes, how in the world are you already half-done?"

"It was a task that needed completion, I see no reason to provide a poor effort."

"...You can dust and polish a room in 10 minutes. You'd make the perfect housewife."

Rei hid her face and blushed, a concept she was not familiar with. = He thinks I am...feminine? =

Due to Rei's single-minded determination, they were finished quickly. They made their way to NERV's ground-level entrance for their close-combat training.

"You know, we've both spent more time in the hospital than training."

"Yes, but that does not change the standards we are held to. If anything, it makes them more rigorous."

* * *

They were changed into fatigued exercise clothing and carrying plastic practice knives. The two young pilots were amongst large and strong NERV security and infantry, and Shinji was intimidated. = I'm supposed to train against these guys!? = He looked over at Rei, and once again, her face had the expression of complete disinterested calm. = How the hell does she do it? = The Eskrima trainers in the front of the room began lecturing on speed and offense.

"Don't allow your opponent the opportunity to attack you, finish your knife blow in one motion."..."Your Live Hand is used to disrupt your opponent's weapon at the wrist or forearm."..."A proper strike will slip between the ribs or connect behind your opponent's jaw, do not stab the chin or solar plexus, bone and cartilage will foul up the knife. The Eva pilots need to aim directly for the Angel's core."

= Just like going up against the Fifth Angel. = Shinji thought to himself.

When the lecture was over, the students were lined up on training mats and paired to spar. Rei and Shinji found themselves facing one another; = I guess this is how to keep it fair, those security cops look like they could step on us. =

They bowed, and Rei struck forward with a speed and flexibility that Shinji had never expected, his years of Aikido took over his abilities and he found himself in a cycle blocking and defending her swift knife strikes. The trainer yelled to him "Ikari! You have to answer her strikes! Stop passively blocking and strike back!" = I know that...slap her wrist...How can she move like this?...step right...she's striking high, bend back...she's moving, stab now! = He struck forward and found his plastic knife on the floor and his hand held by Rei's strong grip, her knife hovering millimeters from the side of his throat.

"Ikari! You are now dead. In the future, be aggressive and maybe you won't lose to a girl half your size."

As the two left the session, Shinji started asking her about the fight.

"Rei...where did all that come from?"

"Commander Ikari directed me to train from an age where I could safely fight."

"Well, yeah, I've been practicing Aikido since I was nine, but you were faster and more brutal than some of the soldiers in there!"

"Aggression is necessary when fighting an opponent, you were not aggressive, and you fell to my knife. If I was not, I would have fallen."

"I understand that, but I've never seen you that aggressive before, anywhere."

"If I allow an opponent to be aware of my skill, I lose my advantages when fighting them. I am aware of your skill-I have witnessed you fighting Suzuhara, and you reacted quickly when I struck you."

"Then you could have easily fought me when you slapped me, why'd you let me stop you?"

"I had no intention of fighting you. I slapped you because you disparaged your father. You then explained your beliefs about him to me, and your reasons for distrusting him were not unfounded."

= I don't get her...she talks like a philosophy professor. =

Rei had already started on her way home as Shinji was following her. "Hey, Rei...you're just going back to your apartment, right?"

"Yes."

"Um...can...may I walk you home?" He stammered out.

"Why? You don't need to be concerned for my safety."

"I-I just like listening to you. You're a lot smarter than I am."

"Commander Ikari ordered Commander Fuyutsuki to personally educate me until I officially entered the school system. I have already completed all courses for graduation."

"So when you're studying...you already know everything we cover in class?"

"Yes. Commander Ikari ordered me to continue school because the highshcool property we are on is well-defended. He wants me there to ensure my safety. Because I am already familiar with the content, I complete my assignments well ahead of schedule."

He was awestruck. = She's beautiful, she can fight better than I ever will, and she's a genius. =

By the time they had finished their conversation, Rei had walked to her building with Shinji absentmindedly following her, amazed at the way she thinks and speaks.

"You did ask to walk me home, Pilot Ikari." She said, waking him from his daze.

"Umm, yeah, thanks for talking to me Rei...wait a minute, you cleaned the classroom in minutes today, why is your apartment so messed up?"

"Keeping my apartment in the state you describe is not necessary for my purpose."

= Purpose? I guess she means Eva piloting... =

"You're right, but wouldn't you like to be more comfortable here?"

"I am not allowed to request unnecessary comforts."

= My dad probably put that idea in her head. = He thought with a touch of disgust.

"Rei, let me do something for you, just as a gift because you're my friend."

= He considers me a 'friend'...nobody has referred to me as such before...even the Commander. = "Umm...Alright, Shinji." She answered, confused by his intentions and unconsciously using his first name.

* * *

"At the end of the day, gentlemen, the Sixth's excessive plasma damage to Unit 00 is placing it out of active service until the budget for more extensive repairs can be approved."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: "Unit 00 is a prototype. We can not make special concessions for it as it would divert resources away from the True Evangelion. Despite Unit 01's recent successes, it is still a far cry from the fruition of our objective."

"Unit 00 may be a prototype, but its pilot certainly isn't. As for your thoughts on the 'True Evangelion', if an Angel overpowers our defenses while even one Unit is down, then NERV will have failed in it's official purpose, and Instrumentality will never complete. Instead we will have raw chaotic destruction. We cannot allow this long term goal to be the undoing of all we have prepared."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: "You may not have your complete budget, Ikari, but some repairs to Unit 00 will be allowed. However, in light of the increasing aggression from the Angels, we will be transferring Unit 02, its pilot, and some needed support from Germany. Three active Units may be the limit of the Vatican Treaty, but we will pressure the United Nations into relaxing the prohibitions to compensate the concentrated Angel threat at your headquarters."

"Gentlemen, your consideration is greatly appreciated."

* * *

Shinji returned home sometime around zero dark-thirty, his shirt stained and his hair full of dust.

"Shinji, what in the world happened to you?" Misato asked as she looked up from the television and saw his current state of being.

"I, uh, was cleaning with Rei after we finished training today."

"It shouldn't take you until midnight to clean a classroom."

"No...I was cleaning Rei's apartment-"

"Awww, a date to clean your girlfriend's apartment! Wow, Shinji, she's got you good and whipped already!"

"Misato! She's not my girlfriend and it wasn't a date!"

"Yes it was, Shinji, and the sooner you realize that the better off you'll be."

* * *

A/N: Yay Filler! I have the next chapter (Asuka) Started and I'll be uploading it soon.


	11. Chapter 10: Red Hair

Answers:

Ulyces: thanks for reading, and I completely agree

Fanus: You've figured me out...crap. Rebuild 1 and 2 fixed every problem the series had in my opinion, which is why I was so disappoint at 3.0 being an incoherent mess. And, in reality, I don't have anything against Shinji/Asuka as a pairing or concept, I just don't accept the way Asuka treats people who haven't done anything bad to her.

* * *

Disclaimer: See prologue

Chapter 10: Red Hair

* * *

Siberia, 2014

_'Plug insertion complete'_

"All systems are green, Problem Child is activated."

Time to face the day!

Gotta make it snappy!

But you know, first you gotta make it outta bed!

Hello Mr. Sunshine today you're gonna be mine!

Make him pinky swear there's only sunny skies ahead!

Take on the day with a one-two punch-

"There he is! Eva Unit 5, AT field up!"

"How could it have escaped from a containment field as complex as Acheron?"

"Not only was it possible, it was inevitable. Fact is, humanity is completely incapable of restricting the Angels on it's own. We extracted this thing from the permafrost and carved it down to the bone...which only served to make it angry. It's wreaking havoc on your research facilities as we speak. Have fun with it!"

A ruggedly handsome United Nations Inspector left the Russian Bethany Base with a suitcase he did not enter with, while a strangely cheerful English girl was operating the Unit 5, a battle robot specifically designed for close-combat in caves and tunnels. She was pursuing the skeletal remains of the somehow still alive Third Angel. It cratered itself in Antarctica fifteen years before this moment, and had endured a decade and a half of vivisections before breaking free of its subterranean prison.

The Third Angel used a psionic wave to carve out a section of the underground fortress' roof and began to flee upwards as Unit 05 activated a cluster of rocket engines attached to its quadrupedal chassis. The Angel started climbing a large antenna array at the surface when it was speared and impaled by Unit 05's sharp hydraulic lance.

"And just where do you think you're going?" The girl asked as it thrashed against the antenna, until the Angel's eyes lit bright red and two lasers severed Unit 05's four legs. She groaned in pain as she felt the fake sensation of the leg amputations. "That would have really hurt if this wasn't So. MUCH. FUN!" She grappled with the Angel's glowing red core organ inside its throat as it burned into Unit 05's shoulder joint. "You want the arm? You can have it if you'll just Fucking. DIE!" She crushed the core inside Unit 05's one functional arm and pulled her ejection lever as the Angel exploded and vaporized the body of Unit 05 and a large portion of Bethany Base with it.

The UN Chief Inspector was flying over the Arctic Sea on a Beriev B-200 as he witnessed the explosion and saw the splashdown of the Unit 05 entry plug several kilometers away from his flight path.

"I hate the way we suits resort to using children to do our dirty work..." he said as the young woman on the water's surface repeated his sentiments.

"I hate needing these adults to have all my fun..."

He brought the seaplane down and opened the wet entry as the young woman climbed aboard.

"Why thank you, Ryouji. You always are a gentleman."

"What can I say, I have a way with unstable Eva pilots. But, when we get to our destination, I'm going to have to ask you to disembark a little early..."

* * *

A young boy laid a bouquet of flowers over one grave of thousands. "I know it's been 11 years, but I still have trouble knowing she's gone."

His father answered him. "That's a reality that I too was once too weak to grasp. There's not a day that goes by that I don't wish that I could return in time to attempt to prevent your mother's death. She taught me to hold onto every moment; back then I didn't understand the value of each moment like she did, and it's something I admit I failed to pass on to you."

"...Do you still have any pictures?"

Commander Ikari's eyes descended, a surprisingly emotional response from the hardened leader. "No, most of her belongings were destroyed in the Impact's flooding, and what survived was placed in secure storage. Everything we need of her must be kept in our hearts and minds. It's just what will have to do for now."

A jet engine roared above their heads. "It seems that I am needed, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi should be available to return you home."

"...Thank you for coming today, Dad."

"Yes."

Shinji watched his father climb into the NERV VTOL jet, and he noticed a particular teenage girl had flown in on it to meet him. = Why is she still so loyal to dad? Even since I told her about him... =

He walked back to the waiting sports car, got in, and was bombarded by cheerful prodding from its driver.

"See, you were acting so mopey about coming out here this morning. Now isn't it better that you did?"

"I only came out here because you brought me."

"Shinji, I can see right through you. You're happy you and your father actually spent time together; you're just too stubborn to admit it."

* * *

A piece of a warship's bridge fell into the middle of the road. "Katsuragi here, what is it now?!"

A birdlike geodesic monstrosity was striding across the Sea of Japan, ignoring the naval bombardment directed at it. With a twist of it's head, a psionic wave caused blades of water to slice the once-proud Japanese Navy to ribbons on the water.

"All right, the Unit 00 Pilot should already be on base, and I'm bringing in the Unit 01 Pilot as we speak, prep both units for launch!"

"Negative ma'am, Task Project 02 has just been authorized."

"Project 02? That means Unit 02 is already here!" Misato stuck her head outside the car windows and looked up, tuning her radio to military air-band.

"What channel is it? ...One Forty-One point One Five Mhz..."

The radio crackled to life with a thick German-accented report. 'Tokyo Control, Werner inbound, Von Braun is attached.'

'Roger Werner, release Von Braun when ready.'

* * *

Meanwhile at 45,000 Feet.

A Daimler-Benz Project C flying wing was smoothly traveling over Japanese ocean when the order to release came.

'Werner here, Von Braun is away, returning to Kadena.'

The flying-wing's umbilical clamps released the red nightmare, and the flight of Sukhoi 35 escorts peeled off before Unit 02's crossbow-railgun was dropped to it. As the Eva skydove to earth, it was attacked by ribbon-like projectiles generated by the Angel's AT field. It was gymnastically flown around and through the ribbons as Unit 02 caught the crossbow and fired a shot through the Angel's needle-thin throat. The Angel's head exploded, and Shinji was astonished.

"It went down in one shot?!"

"There's no way! That head must be a decoy!"

Misato was proven right as the decapitated neck swung down for the Angel's spherical abdomen to take its place. Unit 02 fired a string of bolts that stacked themselves onto the sphere; the pilot let out a high-pitched warcry as the Unit swung into a falling dropkick at near-sonic speed. One Eva-sized boot connected with the crossbow bolts, riding them down into the Angel's AT field, puncturing it and the spherical abdomen. Unit 02 exited the other side with the core stabbed through. It and the Angel exploded in a shower of blood and LCL. Unit 02 hovered on its shoulder jets and landed in the parking space beside Misato's abused car, knocking it into Unit 00's foot, just standing around without much to do.

The pilot issued a situation clear over her loudspeaker, and her feminine voice told Shinji that this pilot was another teenage girl.

* * *

Unit 02 was being delivered into NERV by a rail harness, with Shinji, Rei, Touji and Kensuke watching from the train junction.

"That red paint job looks seriously cool!" Kensuke exclaimed, loud enough for the Unit 02 Pilot to hear.

"That's not the only thing that's 'cool'!" She shouted. "Unit 01 and Unit 00 are nothing compared to Unit 02, they're just beta testing prototypes! Unit 02 is the real deal, it's the first real Evangelion! You Japanese pilots are no longer necessary!"

Misato, amused at the fiery redhead's attitude, finally announced, "That would be the pride of the German Air Force, Captain Asuka Langely-Soryu, Pilot of Evangelion Unit 02."

Seeing the dark-haired Officer, Asuka acrobatically ran down the side of her Unit, freerunning over the fence, concrete wall and several safety railings before jumping and landing next to Misato.

"Misato! It's been too long!"

"Asuka, welcome to Tokyo 3-"

"That blue haired one must be the Unit 00 Pilot, right, the Commander's pet herself."

Rei had lost interest and was walking away as Asuka stared daggers into her back.

"Asuka-"

She turned her eyes towards the three boys. "And which one of you idiots is the Commander's little embarrassment? I know one of you sucked your way into Unit 01's cockpit."

Shinji tensed at those words, and Asuka stomped her way up to him. "So it's you, wimp?"

She foot-swept him and Shinji tumbled backwards, his body reflexively landing in a breakfall position. He reluctantly steeled his mind to defend himself = Why the hell is she attacking me!? = He rolled backwards and stood up quickly. "What are you doing! Leave me alone!"

"I really should, just like you left me alone to fight that bastard all by myself!"

"What are you talking about? I was on my way in to NERV; you looked like you handled it well enough-"

"I most certainly did! I don't need you or your outdated Units."

Misato looked downtrodden, Shinji wasn't a difficult person; Rei is so static that she simply vanishes from conflict, but Asuka hates competition, especially when those around her weren't competing. = How do I get her to work with them? They've done nothing to her. =

* * *

"Who the hell does that bitch think she is?" Touji asked with his usual grating voice.

"Well, she is an Air Force Captain at her age, that's like a 10 year old going to med school! Maybe she's earned it?" Kensuke responded.

"So what? Shinji's a First Lieutenant and he's never acted like that to anybody-"

"Hey, you kids! Can you help a guy with some directions? I'm trying to make it to the NERV surface entrance, but I'm totally lost."

Shinji answered the man walking up to them, "You're at the right station, but you have to take the Secure Connector Train, it requires a passcard."

"Then I hope mine is still valid...Tell me, is Major Katsuragi still Commissioned?"

"Actually, she's been promoted, but yeah."

"Great, Shinji, when we get there we can swap stories about Misato's snoring!" He gave a friendly smile and walked away.

"Who was that guy, Shinji?"

"...I have no idea."

* * *

A/N: Sheeee's heeeere!


	12. Chapter 11: Cohabitation

Disclaimer: See prologue

Chapter 11: Cohabitation

* * *

Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke parted ways at their respective train lines, and Shinji made his way back to Misato's apartment. When he entered the building, his bedroom was stacked floor to ceiling with DHL shipping crates.

"What is all this stuff?!"

"This stuff is my personal property and you'll show some respect for it!"

"Soryu?! What in the world are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? Misato realized that you weren't up to her high standards; she wants to live with a real pilot! Now grab a shovel, your old crap is outta here!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Ha! That's exactly what I thought when I saw these tiny Japanese apartments. Do you people own anything? I can't fit anything of mine in here. And what is wrong with these doors? They don't lock or even close all the way." She started opening and closing the door to prove her point, when a tall, dark-haired woman appeared behind them both.

"Actually, we Japanese respect people's privacy, we simply knock before we enter a room."

"MISATO!" the two teens exclaimed in unison, and Asuka continued.

"Finally, get this idiot out of here! I need the space."

"No ma'am, Shinji's not going anywhere, you two will be living together from now on."

"WHAT?!" their voices sounded like they were merged into one at this point.

"Asuka, this is for your own good. I listened pretty closely to your little tirade at the train station, and it became clear that you need to learn teamwork. You may have operated alone in Germany, but here you're part of a functional Eva squadron. You may be one pay grade above Shinji and Rei, but until you prove otherwise, you're behind them in the chain of command."

"Then let me prove otherwise! You're tying me to those deadweights without a second thought!"

"Your time in the Luftwaffe should have taught you that you never leave a wingman behind, but right now you're showing absolutely no Officership whatsoever. "

"And? I'm stuck here with Ikari's kid while the First Child gets off scot free!"

"Rei is a naturally solitary person, but she and Shinji already work extremely well together." She shot a mischevious wink over to Shinji while he facepalmed. "If she caused as much of a problem as you are, she'd be going through this training as well. Now, we just have to work you into the chores. Shinji's the family chef, I work for a living, and that means you get laundry duty from now on."

"What?! I'm not handling his moldy clothes!"

"That's an order by the way."

* * *

"Man was that job ever a pain in the ass. Still, everything went exactly as you'd hoped. The Third Angel is dead, and Bethany's in too much disarray to notice your package is gone. However, that doesn't make anything easier for you. The UN has ordered me to do a full inspection of NERV's flagship facility. I am the Inspector General after all..."

"Yes and I'm sure you'll find everything here is up to regulation. Now, for your delivery, I'd like to see its state of disrepair."

"No disrepair at all...The embryonic remains of the First Angel, perfectly preserved in bakelite, like a Jurassic mosquito trapped in amber."

"And from that amber we will extract the genetic data necessary for the future of humanity. What of our competition?"

"Well, lets see...Japan Heavy Industries has consistently failed to produce their Jet Alone concept...across the pond the TriOptimum Corportation in Boston is developing a Psioinic Amplifier that may one day allow a 'man sized' AT field... SEELE wants to create cheap and Mass-Produced Evangelions... Other than that, if everything is satisfied here, I need to take my leave. I have several individuals I need to contact, and if I don't have a report written the UN is going to have both our heads."

The ponytailed rogue left the room and made his way down to the synchronization chambers.

"UN Inspector General Ryouji Kaji...Can he be trusted?" Fuyutsuki asked of his colleague.

"If we do not trust him then we lose our official support, Professor."

* * *

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi was going over medical research when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, and a poorly-trimmed chin nuzzled her cheek. "Your figure has gotten even more stunning, Ritzy."

"You of all people should know that flattery doesn't work on me. According to the real world I've been gaining weight."

"Well, you could drop a few pounds right now by taking off all those clothes."

"Right in front of a security camera?"

"That I replaced with a static feed to an empty room..."

"You do always think of everything, except one." Ritsuko gestured to a dividing window, where Misato was steaming like a bull in the arena.

"What the hell is that creep doing here!?"

"I'm on a job. UN's got me...Inspecting the place." he answered with a lecherous grin.

"You've got some nerve showing your sorry face again." She looked to Ritsuko. "HR just gave us the go ahead on Asuka." She stormed out of the room.

"Kaji, that look was pure jealousy...I'd say you've still got a shot."

"That's what I wanted to find out..."

* * *

"A field trip?"

"Yeah, Mr. Kaji said I could bring anybody that I wanted."

Misato snarled "In that case, count me out-"

"Did you say 'KAJI'?!" Asuka bolted into the room.

"Uhh, yeah, why?"

"Because he's a real man, and he was soooo gooood to me back in Germany!" she answered with hearts in her eyes.

Misato was disgusted. "What, exactly, did you two do in Germany?"

"He was my bodyguard, and he took me shopping and carried all my bags and waited on me hand and foot." Asuka swooned.

* * *

"Well, Commander, your son asked Rei to accompany him, the Second, and several of his classmates to the Ecological facility."

"Is this a risk to her?"

"Probably not, but since it's a long trip I highly recommend she have an LCL immersion as soon as she returns. With her current sync, I feel that we can stop aging her, but she needs more time in the LCL to balance the Neuropazyne withdrawals. Versalife company will hate us for it, we used to be one of their biggest customers."

"Very well, Ristuko. Please, consider staying here a while before you return to your work."

* * *

"This is the coolest place ever to be built! Thanks for bringing us out here Shinji!" Kensuke was video taping every last screw and bolt at their destination.

The NERV VTOL unloaded five teenagers and one penguin at the Ecological Water Reclamation Plant. Kaji greeted them via loudspeaker from the security offices.

"Alright, kids. It'll get kind of complicated from here on out..."

After being irradiated, boiled, supercooled, windblown, and dressed in sterilized clothing, PenPen, Shinji, Rei, Touji, Kensuke, and Asuka stepped into the main habitat of the research aquarium, right as one of the few blue whales left on earth swam by. The boys were thrilled, and Penpen got into a heated discussion with the other penguins at the complex while Rei looked in silence and Asuka acted miffed.

"They're acting like preschoolers." She said as she watched Kensuke and Touji marvel over a loggerhead turtle, until she noticed Shinji climbing up to where Rei was looking into an isolated tank housing a school of miniscule chromis fish. She snorted and turned to her SwanCrystal player.

"I'm glad you could come with us, Rei, are you feeling better?"

"Yes. Dr. Akagi is taking me off the medication routine, I should be fine now."

He akwardly looked into the fishtank. "Why do you think the're keeping all these fish separate from everything else?"

"They have to. They're too weak to survive anywhere else. They're like me that way."

Shinji just stared at her, what she said made absolutely no sense to him.

* * *

Asuka was doing her best to snuggle up against Kaji, with him politely ignoring her, as Shinji laid out their packaged lunch for the trip. Everybody dropped what they were doing when they smelled Shinji's artwork.

"You're a natural cook, Shinji. Ladies love a man that knows his way around a kitchen!" Kaji laughed to him.

"You hear that, Touji?" Kensuke asked, getting a rise out of the jock.

"Whatever! A kitchen is no place for a man!"

"For a caveman like you, you're absolutely right!" Asuka mocked him.

"What'd you call me?! I, for one, still have principles!"

"Stupid principles."

"Come on, guys," Shinji interrupted, "just eat, neither one of you had to cook today anyway."

Touji went back to shoveling his face as Shinji turned to his attention to Rei. "Rei, is something wrong with the food?"

Rei looked away from Shinji and apologetically answered "I, well, I don't eat meat..."

Asuka overheard and involved herself, "Could you be any more self-righteous? There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating other animals, but right now you're just wasting a meal someone else would appreciate!" Rei blankly stared at her. "What? You wanna Fight!"

"All right, all right, I'll take care of this." Touji took Rei's unwanted food and was subsequently attacked and run down by a still-hungry PenPen. Shinji poured her a serving of miso with extra nori and tofu cubes. "Here, try the miso soup, then."

She took a drink and went wide-eyed. "...It's delicious."

Kaji smirked at Shinji's natural kindness. = He's a true gentleman to her. =

* * *

"I can't believe the ocean used to have so many fish and animals in it."

"The entire world was like that before the Impact. It's actually the reason I wanted to bring you kids out here. I figured neither the Commander or Misato would tell you what we're fighting for. Someday, after all this madness is over, the oceans will be clear and blue, the air will be clean and healthy, the Earth will cool and the ice caps will freeze again."

"You know, Misato seemed pissed that you invited us, even when I asked her to come."

"She could never see a place like this. Too many memories of 15 years ago; memories of the Second Impact." Kaji turned to face Shinji. "Misato hated her father before he died, he was married to his work, and had just begun trying to reconnect with her. He brought her to Antarctica so she could see the incredible animal life in what was thought to be barren wasteland—it's where she found her love for penguins—when the Impact happened. Her father's actions saved her life, but she blames him for it. When you know her as closely as I did, you find out that she would have rather died back there than survive without him. She was nearly catatonic for two years after that. She didn't speak and barely moved at all."

Shinji thought about Misato's comment that she and her father didn't get along, she told him that when the two had first met.

* * *

Inside NERV HQ, satellite video revealed a black sphere currently in a decaying orbit somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.

* * *

A/N: Would you believe my favorite character in Neon Genesis Evangelion was...Ryouji Kaji?


	13. Chapter 12: Gravity

Answers

Fanus: Don't worry, the Asuka bashing starts right...now!

Akuma: I've never understood any of the Kaji dislike. He's essentially James Bond, but it's shown that he completely loves Misato and is a real father figure for Shinji

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 12: Gravity

* * *

An SSTO Spacecraft was orbiting an international space platform built onto the moon.

"Here we are, 30 Meters from Tabatha Moon Base, and SEELE won't allow us to land. They can be nasty at times." Fuyutsuki observed.

Commander Ikari continued, "More importantly, Inspector General Kaji's report was quite accurate. It would seem that the Mark 6 is being completed at lighting pace. Unit 05 was a placeholder to design a simpler, more efficient Evangelion. The Mark 6 is the realization of that goal."

Fuyutsuki saw a grey figure on the Mark 6's hand. "...A person...out here? It's not possible."

"Pleased to meet you, Father".

* * *

"Ma'am, the object is on an intercept path with central Tokyo-3. Aerial N2 Bombardment is being absorbed by the AT field. It's moving straight through our defenses. Estimated time to planetfall is 122 minutes."

"How's the evacuation going"

"Government and military are already out, civilian population is moving as we speak."

"What's the effect going to be?"

"The Eighth Angel seems to be willing to completely waste its own body in order to puncture the upper city and attack Dogma. With an AT field-magnified explosion, the GeoFront will burn until its surface is but glass..."

"Has the Commander been notified?"

"The Angel's AT field is blocking wireless communications."

Misato thought for a few minutes, before announcing "Then we're going to keep it from ever hitting the ground."

* * *

Ritsuko was about to explode. "Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi! It doesn't matter whether we succeed here or not! Your solution ends with us sacrificing all three Evas in a single mission! And that's if we win! We'll have no protection for another attack! This isn't just a suicide mission, it's condemning every living thing in the world!"

"I know that. I also know that I'm the Acting Commander. It's my decision. We're moving forward."

"It's not your decision, it's your vendetta."

* * *

"YOU WANT US TO CATCH IT?!" Asuka screamed in disbelief.

"That's right. Before the Angel makes landfall, you're going to split up at three points and chase the Angel to its target. When you get there, you're going to overcharge the Evas' AT fields and catch it in midair. When its advance is halted, one of you will stab the core."

Asuka was getting hotheaded. "Please, you don't need these two! Send me out alone!"

"No, there are too many possible landing zones for a single Eva to track, Asuka. You're going to have to work as a team."

"You really think that that little of me?"

"That's not it. You're all equally skillful pilots, and I need every one of you online today."

Rei spoke up. "How do you know where to place us?"

"Just a woman's intuition."

Shinji didn't like those odds. "Misato! You've never even bought a winning lottery ticket! What are our chances here?!"

"Yeah, it's probably better if you don't know the answer to that. Now lets go, get these Evas on the rails."

* * *

_'Evas 00 through 02, power connections established. Internal batteries charging. A-10 sync confirmed.'_

For the first time in Shinji's career, he wasn't terrified of controlling an Eva Unit. = I don't get it, I used to hate even the concept of the Evas, but now it feels comforting...like being held by my mom...or like being with Rei... =

"All right, listen you three, we don't have any predicted target for the Angel. Everything depends on your ability to manually chase this thing. We're counting on you to keep up with it. Now get into your starting blocks, you launch when you feel the power cable eject."

"Target's altitude is at 20,000 feet."

"Power off in 5...4...3...2...1! Batteries on!"

The three Evas sprinted from their power stations, charging towards their target estimates. They tore apart roads, stepped on buildings, and flooded rivers as they covered kilometers of Japan in minutes.

Asuka got first sight of the falling spherical Angel, but she was nowhere near it. "The Angel's accelerating! It looks like it flying itself in manually! I can't keep up with it anymore! It's mutating."

The sphere opened up into a symmetrical eye-like creature, with wings sprouting from its sides

Shinji, however, was keeping up. "Yeah, but it's headed towards my target. I can get it! Misato!"

"Bank the blast shields to the left! Stagger apartments 1072 to 1078. Build him a ramp!"

Unit 01 ran through the shields in a Four-G turn and sprung itself off the apartment buildings, landing downwards on a hillside and covering 350 meters every second, the sonic boom in his wake blowing aside anything not bolted to the Earth.

"Shinji, stop at that hilltop!"

Unit 01's massive boots dug into the terrain as it slowed to a halt as Shinji shouted into his A-10 headset. "AT FIELD MAX POWER!"

Orange hexagons expanded around Unit 01, tearing up the hilltop around it. The Angel slammed against the field with its own, crushing Shinji in his seat and pounding Unit 01's legs into the surface.

The Angel's center grew into a man-like being, who grabbed Unit 01's hands and speared through them with its own. Shinij screamed as his high sync transferred the injuries from Unit 01 to his own arms, the gasified LCL around his hands ignited and burned on his plugsuit.

"Asuka, hurry, I can't hold this weight!"

"I'M ON MY WAY! DAMMIT!"

Unit 02 made it up the hillside to join the fight, lit up her progressive knives and attempted to stab the core, only for it to start flying around the Angel's 'head' at hundreds of revolutions per minute.

"Asuka...please..." Shinji groaned out as he felt Unit 01 buckling under the weight of billions of cubic meters of Angel.

"I'm trying, dammit!" she said while trying to follow the core as it spun around, only to halt in between Unit 00's hands, as Rei brought it in to climb and stand on Unit 01's shoulders. The core began to glow red-hot and burned the armor and skin off of Unit 00's forearms, and those burns were sent to Rei's arms.  
"Unit 02, stab the core!" Rei demanded over the radio, writhing in pain while at Unit 00's controls.

"I'm working on it! And you don't give me orders!" She drew her second knife and drove it into the now-stationary core and twisted the two knives into each other, tearing a slice of flesh away from the core and causing it to spray superheated Angel blood across the ground as the giant wings closed back up into a sphere. Eighth Angel exploded in a tidal wave of blood, flooding the nearby lake and a large portion of Tokyo-3, causing billions of Yen in insurance damage.

The Eva batteries powered down and Shinji and Rei welcomed the release from the pain brought by their sync rates. Asuka was now the one hurting.

She started brooding to herself. "I was useless back there. I did nothing, all I did was stab the core that Wondergirl had trapped, and I know for a fact that Idiot is going to get all the glory for this. I'll show Misato; I don't need either of them!"

* * *

"Lt. Col. Katsuragi, we've made contact with the Commander."

"Good, bring him online...Apologies, Commander, due to a operation of my design, both Unit 00 and Unit 01 are extensively damaged-"

Professor Fuyutsuki interjected, "No apology needed, considering the magnitude of this attack, the damage we absorbed could be considered fortunate."

"I agree," stated Commander Ikari, "the objective was the destruction of the Eighth Angel, and that goal was accomplished without any total Unit loss. Having said that, the two Units will need repair, with Unit 01 on priority status, and both the pilots require medical care...In fact, patch me through to Unit 01's pilot."

Shinji shook himself out of his daze when Commander Ikari's channel opened in Unit 01 cockpit.

"I read what happened out there, today. You did very well, Shinji."

Shinji, shocked that it was his father praising him, stuttered out his gratitude. "Ye-Yes, thank you, Sir."

"Very well, Katsuragi, I'm giving you oversight of the recovery. Give priority to Unit 01."

* * *

Shinji was making his way out of the intensive care unit with both hands thoroughly wrapped from his simulated stab wounds, and Misato caught up to him there.

"Great news, Unit 01 is getting priority repairs, so you and Asuka are still ready to go. Unit 00 wasn't as extensively damaged, but it's having to wait for repairs. More importantly, Rei's being treated for burns on her hands and forearms, and I'd bet she'd really feel better if she got a visit from someone who cares about her!" Misato started giggling like a 12 year old.

"MISATO!"

"Shinji, when you act more and more embarrassed I get more and more proof that you really do like her. Maybe, just maybe, she'd respond well if you'd just do something about it!" She handed Shinji a card with Rei's hospital room and walked away.

* * *

As Misato sat down for her lunch that day, a ponytailed man slid into the chair beside her.

"So I've heard that Shinji cooks for you, now. That's good, he makes much healthier stuff than curry ramen."

"Yeah, unlike you I have actual work to do."

"You know, if you act like that everyday, you're going to have a hernia before you hit 30. You and Ritsy aren't supposed to fight, you're supposed to be best friends. Haven't you tried relaxing? A social life?"

"I don't have time to relax." She snapped. "And why do you care-" she turned to look at Kaji and found him gazing longingly at her. She hid her eyes and blushed deep red.

* * *

Shinji made it to Rei's room in the burn ward to find a nurse changing bedding and sheets.

"Umm, excuse me ma'am. Is this where Rei-, I mean, Pilot Ayanami is staying?"

"I'm sorry dear, she was just transferred to another wing a few floors down, obviously they don't tell us orderlies why..."

"Yes, thank you, sorry for your time."

"Oh, no trouble, I'm sorry you missed her."

* * *

_'Blood Match: Code Blue Confirmed'_

* * *

A/N: So I should have had this chapter posted 8 hours before I did, but I seriously spent that long trying to figure the best way to flow into chapter 13, so I went for a relatively weak ending that fits easily into any coherent storyline...writing sucks sometimes


	14. Chapter 13: Twins

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 13: Twins

* * *

= The system always feels like my thoughts are being lifted from my mind...like I am injecting heroin into my veins and receiving an opiate euphoria... =

Her arms still stung from the burns, but the LCL was quickly healing her superficial injuries.

"Rei, you have to end early today. There's already been another invasion."

Commander Ikari entered the LCL chamber room and ended the clone memory backup program. The Dummy Plugs would have to wait another week, this was another Angel invasion.

He brought Rei out of the treatment, and she took uncharacteristic initiative in starting a conversation. "Commander Ikari, Unit 00 is still out of service, I am unable to sortie until that changes."

"Yes, I know, your purpose today is to wait in reserve and record the Second and Third's performance. Either of them could be incapacitated during the operation.

"Yes Sir."

* * *

Hyuga was the first to compile a report.

"The Cruiser Haruna has sonar pings and visual sightings of a bipedal creature moving through the Sea of Japan. Our automated interception systems are only operating at 26 percent capacity, and the JSSDF is performing disaster recovery after the Eighth's explosion and flooding."

Misato thought out a quick and simple intercept. "We'll mount a progressive, coordinated assault to prevent this thing from making land. Shinji and Asuka will both be launched and will attack with their feet wet."

Asuka just happened to be complaining out loud over an open channel. "Why the hell do I have to be out here with this Idiot?! I can kill this thing fast without Third over here holding me back."

Shinji tried to preemptively heal any bad blood between the two. "It's just standard procedure. Since there's three Evas in Japan right now, we can afford to launch two of us out and still have Rei in reserve."

"You listen to me, Third Child! You will not bring up Doll Girl again and you will not get in my way! I'm killing this thing without you!" = That will prove to Misato that I'm the only Pilot NERV needs. =

The flying wings released the Eva Units as they skydove to land on the beachhead where power and weapons were waiting for them.

Shinji got the first look at the broad-shouldered humanoid. "Hey, Misato, this thing looks like the Fourth, doesn t it?"

"Yes, I can see that, maybe this one will turn out easier than that fight."

Asuka grapped a five-story tall spear. "ALRIGHT TIMES UP! LET'S DO THIS! Hey Third, cover my back!"

"Oh my God Misato! She just ran in!"

"I see that, Shinji! Dammit Asuka, stick to the plan!"

Shinji grabbed a rifle and unloaded into the Angel as Asuka sliced it clean in two. "See, I didn't need you at all, Third."

Shinji was impressed..."Well I'll be damned"... until the two halves of the Angel regenerated into two separate beings, who procedded to give an oldschool beatdown to both Eva Units.

"goddammit Asuka."

* * *

'THIS IS PATHETIC' The televsision in the Pilot's ready room repeated the Tokyo-3 City Commissioner's words on the last attack, which ended with Shinji and Asuka both beaten by the Ninth Angel's twin subgrowths.

"Oh please. Third here ruined every single one of my attempts, I could have taken them both out if he didn't get in the way!"

"ME?! You balatanlty disregarded Misato's operation and abandoned protocol just to jerk your own ego! We were sent out as a team, and you're so obsessed with grabbing the credit for that fight that you got us both nearly killed!"

Professor Fuyutsuki spoke over the arguing teens. "Enough! After the Ninth Angel overpowered both Unit 01 and 02, operational command was handed over to the JASDF, who attacked the angel with an ICBM loaded with an N2 warhead. The explosiion burned away 28 percent of the Angel's biomass, but failed to eliminate it. They vaporized a mountain because you screwed up; we're going to have to redraw the map again. It is expected to fully heal in 10 days..." He turned to Shinji and Asuka. "YOU TWO! What is your purpose at NERV?"

Asuka timidly answered "...to pilot Eva?"

"NO! You are here to kill Angels, but instead you publicly humiliate us in front of the Japanese Military and the United Nations! You have no idea how lucky you are that Commander Ikari isn't overseeing operations today. You two have 10 days to kill this abomination, and if you fail I'll have you both transferred from the GeoFront to what's left of Antarctica!" He stormed out of the room, and Asuka was terrified of the generally reserved and polite professor.

"Kaji, why was he exploding like that?" She brought her best 'innocent teenage girl' act out on him, an act that he didn't fall for.

"Asuka, the Professor is trying to protect NERV's credibility. Essentially, our only purpose at the moment is the elimination of the Angel threat, and if we fail at that, there's no reason for the UN not to shut us down..."

Shinji spoke up. "Hey, Kaji, shouldn't Misato be here at the debrief?"

"She has to handle the official response, it's part of being operations director. Trust me, you're lucky that you're the Eva pilot in this situation."

* * *

Misato just happened to be sitting in her office with several thousand complaints, reports, reprimands, inquiries, and insurance bills in front of her when Ritsuko walked in with a portable drive.

"I'm amazed you haven't been demoted back to butterbar yet. Still, when Commander Ikari hears about this, you're probably out of a job."

"Tell me you're here to save my career and not to mock me."

"No, I'm here to mock you; it's the pervertedly handsome man that hangs around you that just saved your career." Ritsuko handed Misato the drive. "Kaji developed a plan to kill that thing for good this time. You really ought to think of some way to thank him in the future" Ritsuko answered, giving Misato a dirty smirk, and Misato steamed in response.

* * *

Shinji made it back to the apartment to find Misato had come home early. She had Asuka with her to call a family meeting.

"You two are going to have to go back out there 10 days from now. Now Kaji has developed a plan to eliminate the Angel-"

Askua heard Kaji's name and started fangirling "Of course Kaji knows what to do! He's so smart, and strong, and handsome an-"

"Dammit Asuka pay attention! This operation is going to require complete precision and cooperation between the two of you, so for the next 10 days you're going to eat, breathe, learn, repeat, and choreograph each other's routines, habits, and behavior. You're going to become each other-"

"WHAT?! I'm not doing anything related to this disgusting idiot's 'habits'!"

"If it means destroying the Angel, you certainly will, and your training starts...now." She handed out dance exercise outfits and started playing a classical peice on her stereo. "Four days from now, you two are pulled out of school and you train together exclusively. For now, you will listen and learn this piece of music for when my new dance mat system gets here."

* * *

Lunchtime at school came...

"WHY DIDN'T YOU COOK FOR US?!"

"I - I had to finish my homework this morning! I didn't have time last night after training..."

"That's great, you get your stupid homework done and I get to starve!"

Touji cut in. "Hey Look! The newlyweds are fighting!"

Shinji and Asuka spoke as one. "You shut your damn mouth!"

* * *

The Eskrima trainer was puzzled at Misato's request.

"Ma'am, we spar one-on-one here. Pitting them both against Ayanami isn't how the discipline is founded."

"I know that. These two are training for a specific operation where they'll be fighting as one unit. We've got no time for them to act independently. Besides, Rei will proabbly beat them both anyway."

"...I don't like this, but alright. Students get on the mats! make some extra room for these three!"

Shinji and Asuka fought Rei, who was wielding two practice knives against them, for dozens of rounds they fought, repeatedly losing due to Asuka's abrasive unwillingness to fight together, but as she saw her antagoism becoming the cause for the losses, she grudgingly began to work with Shinji, moving around, over and under Rei, blocking and interfering until Shinji scored a knife strike while both of Rei's hands were distracted by Asuka's newfound aggression.

"Alright, we won and I've had enough of this, you two basket cases have fun together."

"She still refuses to work with you, Pilot Ikari."

"I know, but unless Unit 00 gets fixed fast, we're going to have to do something about it..."

"Alright you two, since princess over there ran away, continue sparring."

Shinji and Rei bowed, and she struck forward only to find Shinji on his knees with both arms high and grasped around her knife hand. He pulled her over his head into a flip. She landed with a thud on her back with Shinji grinning like an idiot and offering her a hand up.

"You were right last time, Rei, I'm aware of your skill now, and unlike Aikido, Eskrima does not focus on active defense. Sometimes a good offense isn't always the best defense."

The trainer watched the creative solution. "Good enough for today, Ikari, but you're still training here for knife skills, remember that."

* * *

"Thank You, God, for lunch! It's the only good thing about school there is!" Touji walked into the class with his arms loaded to the brim with sandwiches and snack food. Asuka was eating Shinji's bento meal when Hikari walked up to her.

"Umm, Asuka? Can I sit with you today?"

"I guess...but I don't have enough to share."

Hikari giggled and sat down, gushing about the headstrong pilot while Asuka glanced over to see Shinji offering Rei a meal and sitting down with her.

"Oh. My. God." Asuka growled out.

Hikari looked over her shoulder. "What is it?...Is that Shinji and Rei? Ohhh, they look adorable together!"

"Yeah right. Hikari, I think I just lost my appetite."

* * *

Ritsuko spoke into the simulator. "Kaji desgned this scenario personally. If you follow the choreography and music down to the step, the Angel should fall exactly as we planned."

"Now you two will be practicing for the next six hours." Ritsuko leaned back and enjoyed the music.

* * *

"I'm just worried about Shinji, you know...It's been three days."

Touji and Kensuke made it up to Misato's floor when Hikari appeared on the next elevator.

"Hikari? What are you doing out here Class Rep?"

"I'm checking up on Asuka, she's missed three days."

"Waitaminute...Shinji's been gone three days too, and we're looking for him...What the hell is going on?!"

They rung Misato's doorbell and found Shinji/Asuka, both dressed in exercise wear and talking in unison.

"It's awful! Misato's making us eat, breathe, and sleep together!" Shinji/Asuka answered.

Hikari panicked. "You're living in Sin!"

"What? No! Misato's making us train like this!"

"That makes absolutely no sense!" Hikari shouted.

"Hi kids!" The aforementioned brunette walked up with Rei.

"Misato, what's going on with these two?" Touji asked while Hikari panicked.

"Just come inside and watch!"

All the classmates were laughing hysterically as Asuka tripped and flipped out at Shinji. "I can't take it anymore. I can't forcibly stoop to the level this walking turd lives at!"

"Asuka, are you giving up?"

"Well, since you have nobody else to do this..." She trailed off as Misato was looking over to her right.

"Rei?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Would you try?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Rei got up, grabbed a headset and she and Shinji proceeded to go through the dance mat routine without an single hiccup.

The kids were amazed, Misato even more so. = Well, no wonder that boy is wrapped around her little finger. = "It looks like I'll have to pair Shinji and Rei up for the job."

Askua wasn't happy at all. "How can they do it? I can't take this anymore!" She ran out of the room.

"I don't believe it...even the Devil can cry."

"Asuka, wait! SHINJI! You jerk!" Hikari started barking at him. "You made her cry! Go apologize!"

"...What did I do?!"

"Go find her!"

He found her junk food scavenging at the convinence store at the base of Misato's building.

"Don't say anything, Third. Of course I'm going to keep piloting."

"Look, Rei and I knew each other and worked together long before you moved here, it's not that wierd that we did well together."

"It is for me! I am not going to come in second! Not behind Wondergirl, not Misato, not anyone!"

Shinji couldn't help but smile. Asuka's hotheadedness did give her the drive to be the best, even if it gave her nothing else.

* * *

Three more days passed. The operation was launched when the Ninth Angel awoke and moved towards the city.

"All right you two! 62 seconds is the time we trained for, don't go a minute over! Fire the power cable, batteries on!"

The music started; the Evas were launched out of the catapult. They speared the Ninth Angel, it separated, and they simultaneously abused each half until it was enraged and reformed into one. The two Evas jumped high into a falling kick, breaking the twin cores apart with little effort. The Evas absorbed the explosion, landing in a heap on top on each other.

"YOU DEGENERATE PERVERT! How dare you violate my perfect Unit 02 like that!"

"Me? You collapsed on top of Unit 01! You should be the one apologizing!"

Fuyutsuki looked down from NERV's bridge. "Those kids are making a laughing stock of this place..."

* * *

A/N: So this story won't be based _completely_ on rebuild...*evil laughter*  
A/N 2: LEEEEEROY JENNNKINS!


	15. Chapter 14: The Chase

Answers:

Fanus: I answered your comment via pm, but I'm sorry that I have to dissapoint you about those two fights

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 14: The Chase

* * *

Early morning sync tests were even more grating than normal sessions.

"Oh my God...Could this get any more boring. If we're gonna be stuck in these plugs, why can't we be fighting Angels?" Asuka was especially hyperactive and talkative during this particular test.

"Because we're working to build a peaceful world after all this. And you wishing for an Angel attack is counterproductive. Boredom is part of the job." Misato said from her current location on a spinning office chair.

"Endless tedium...could you imagine? One boring day at work after another." Ritsuko mused down to Maya, reading the neural output coming from the static entry plugs.

The other two Children weren't having any difficulty dealing with the incredibly dull sync tests. Rei simply waited with her usual indifference while Shinji passed the time by gawking at Rei through the open videoconferencing channel.

Maya ran the final report and opened the chambers. "All right, you three you can come on out.

Hyuga spoke up. "Unit 01 may be in action, but as long as Unit 00 is on the bench, our budget and our spare parts are completely out the window."

"I know," Aswered Ritsuko, "the Commander is lobbying for increased funding and a Unit Transfer as we speak. It can't possibly come soon enough..."

* * *

Even more boring than sync tests was the afternoon of classes that Shinji wasn't exempt from. He was alone on the observation roof at school again when a girl fell from the sky, parachuting directly onto his confused and panicking form. She crashed, knocking Shinji senseless, and scattering her belongings across the roof.

"Dammit where are my glasses!?"

"Umm...are you okay...?"

"Oh, sorry about that-" She heard her cell phone ringing "Yeah it's Mari...No I don't really want to talk to you right now...Why? You scoop me out of the ocean, divert me to Okinawa, and then put me on a training flight with a bunch of douchebag paratroopers and you want to talk about being covert?!...No, I literally landed in some guy's arms when the wind gusts blew me into what looks like a high school...No I didn't have to fight anyone, he kind of freaked out and started running away...Reminds you of somebody you know? How?...If there's a matching core coming then what's the problem...No, that's Germany's problem now...Fine, just make sure that it arrives on time. 'K bye now!"

The girl, Shinji assumed was named 'Mari', shuffled through her static line rig and crawled over to him, animalistically smelling his hair and skin. "You smell good, like LCL, that's my favorite smell in the world..."

"wa-Wa-Waitaminute...How do you know what LCL is?"

"I know a lot more than that, for instance, I know what NERV is, but let's just pretend I never came through here, okay?" She handed him his SDAT and ran off. Could Shinji's day get any wierder?

* * *

He was waiting around NERV's sublevels, not doing anything when he felt an ice cold object on his face. He screamed and whirled around to see Kaji laughing like a madman and offering him a canned coffee.

"You look bored to tears in here and I need some help, lets go hang out for a while..."

* * *

"Are we on a...farm?"

"Technically it's just a big garden, but yeah. NERV doesn't develop any of the land out here so I claimed a little chunk and planted it. Now let's get started, clear the weeds out so the edible crops have more light and soil."

"You know, I don't remember signing up to work the fields..."

"You never really signed up to fight in a giant robot, either, did you? But you got pretty good at that, all things considered."

Shinji actually had to agree with that strange piece of wisdom.

"You'd probably never guess that a scarred up rogue like me would do something so quaint as planting watermelons and grapevines, right? I love watching things grow and ripen, it's like watching a person grow and change. The quiet time out here helps me sort through life and get better perspective."

"So it helps you sort through your pains then?"

"Not a big fan of pain, are you?"

"...Well I don't like it..."

"C'mon, is there anything you do like?" Shinji just scowled at that question.

"Look, Shinji, the reason I brought you out here is because I want to see you being honest with yourself."

"How am I not?"

"Just because you don't like piloting doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud of all the good you've done while at the controls. Just because Asuka is abrasive and cocky doesn't mean she isn't one of the good guys too..." Shinji had a hard time beliving that one. "...You tell yourself that your dad abandoned you, what he really did was run away. Running away was something I did to Misato years ago, and I've been trying to fix that ever since, and I don't want to see you make the same mistakes I did."

"I'm getting better about not running away, trust me."

"Then I've got a challenge for you, now that you aren't running away from the things that scare you, start chasing down the things that scare you. My biggest weakness is that I would rather have fun than accomplish anything; Misato is just as married to her work as her father was; we were total opposites, and we drove each other apart because of it. Ritsuko's mother died a decade ago, but Ritsy lives in the shadow of Naoko Akagi's accomplishments, and she hates it."

"And you think you know what my weakness is?"

"You run from opportunities to be the good guy, Shinji, you can't do that, even if being 'good' is what brings punishment or pain."

"I took one of those opportunities, and Misato exploded at me because of it."

"That doesn't suprise me, Misato has never been great at deciding the difference between what's legal and what's right. Even if she or anybody else explodes at you, don't ever let a chance to do the right thing pass you by. Don't be afraid of failure. If you're rejected, keep chasing anyway."

"Like you keep chasing Misato?" Shinji asked dryly.

"You think that's a bad thing for whatever reason, but don't pretend that nobody sees you chasing Rei." Kaji smirked.

"WHAT?! You too!? Why is every adult in this place so interested in me and Rei?!"

"Because you act like a real man should to her. I saw you at that aquarium, remember. You're kind, chivalrous, generous. You act the same way to Asuka and Misato as well, but niether of them were neglected and repressed like Rei was, that's the result of her living with your father and a fleet of scientists for years. She doesn't know how she deserves to be treated, but you're good to her anyway. I'm going to spend my time trying to fix things between me and Misato, and the best thing I can do for you is try to show you where I went wrong."

"...You know, Kaji, you brought me out here to help tend to your plants. Do you think you can help me with a hammer and nails?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, Rei basically has an entire library at her apartment..."

* * *

"All right, you dragged me out here tonight." Misato talked over her third beer.

"Hey, you could have said no." Kaji smirked at her while looking over the menu of the seedy grill they found themselves at.

"Trust me, this isn't a date. I've got questions for you, and you aren't leaving without answering them."

"Wow, as intense about work as ever."

"Yeah, well this is important." She lowered her voice. "Tell me everything you know about the dummy plug experiments."

"Is that all? Easy, NERV's been trying to develop an autopilot system for the Evas for years. They can control it remotely already, but it can't protect itself with an AT field without a sentient human pilot. NERV's been trying to create an artificial AT field since it was founded. It's more humane than putting children in the middle of a battle."

"No it isn't. We know the effects of the drone wars. The Vatican Treaty itself was written due the possibility of 'intelligent' war machines. Having a human pilot inside means having a human heart and mind inside, with the ability to attack, or to refuse to attack. Doing the latter can be just as important."

"You certainly have a point, but I've never aggreed to using somebody else to do our own dirty work."

"Shinji and the others...they have the heaviest burden anybody could carry, and we gave it to them...but I still trust them more than some unthinking machine." She looked up from her drink. "Who the hell is SEELE?"

"When somebody says 'SEELE' it carries roughly the same credibility as 'Illuminati'. A bunch of pretentious old men playing at running the world. But the world left them behind long ago."

"They're still a threat; what is Human Instrumentality?"

"I promise I'd tell you if I knew, but I've got no idea..."

* * *

Rei walked into her apartment feeling lightheaded and high. The Commander had her spending more and more time in LCL, taking more and more of her thoughts from her each time. = He is acting urgent and alarmed. I do not understand why. = She didn't concern herself with it. = I know that I am not in the condition to ponder the experiments, anyway. =

She was justified in thinking that she was halluncinating when she saw Shinji finishing a simple bookshelf he had installed along her wall. He pulled the six cardboard boxes full of her extensive library from the closet he found while cleaning her room on one occasion. Aside from an unmistakable pair of glasses, her books were the only possesions she had that she valued.

"What is being done here?"

"Hi, Rei, I got Inspector Kaji's help building this bookshelf for you. All of these books and novels you have are too important to hide away in a closet." He rifled through a few pieces of her collection. "Plato's The Republic? A Brief History of Time? Machiavelli's The Prince? The Art of War? All this knowledge you have...it deserves a home. All this stuff is too important to lose. You're going to have to get that front door lock fixed, now."

"...Shinji..." She said his first name again. "is this...paid for?

"Of course it is." He answered, a hint of pride in his voice. "We pilots certainly don't have money problems."

"I have never been given such a substantial gift before-"

He inturrupted her, "Sure you have, all these books are worth more than this shelf."

"These books were not gifts, I either purchased them for myself or simply took them from NERV's facilities."

"...I was under the impression that my dad would have given some of them to you. He should know how much reading and learning you do..."

"He does, but he has only given me the texts necessary to complete the education given to me by Professor Fuyutsuki."

= Oh yeah, that's right...Fuyutsuki did homeschool her... =

"But come on, you've gotten better gifts than a bookshelf, haven't you?"

"No, I have not."

Shinji's perception of time slowed as he tried to understand that statement. = She's a teenage girl who has never done anything to become enemies with anybody; I don't even give a damn if she's quiet and antisocial, how the hell is Asuka suddenly the most popular girl in school? They're equally pretty, but Asuka is, well, mean and violent. Rei is quiet, polite, and agreeable, but people neglect her...God, Kaji was right...I have to start doing something about this. =

"Rei, do you mind if I stay for dinner, we can eat and organize the books however you want them."

"I will not send you away, Pilot Ikari, but I do not have enough food for guests..."

= She didn't say no... = Shinji walked to the kitchen and brought out a thermos and two bowls. "I happen to remember you calling my Miso Soup recipe 'Delicious' didn't you?" he coyly asked her.

= He prepared meals for us preemptively...He expected that I would not be an agreeable host... =

"Yes. I did say that."

He made a simple spread for them on one of the closed boxes, and proceeded to marvel over the content of the books she read. There were the classics, works by Dickens, Verne, Twain, Shelley and others. There were University Biology, Physics, and Mathematics textbooks. He found conspiratorial and philosophical content along with business and finance studies.

"Rei, do you seriously read this stuff, and understand it?"

"Technically, yes, I have completed all of the texts placed in storage. However, I have not reread many of these books in years."

"Okay, even if you haven't been through them in a long time...you really are brilliant, aren't you?"

"I do not consider intelligence a trait to be boasted about, but Dr. Akagi has said that my intellect is well above average."

He picked up one of the documents on philosophy. "Would you read some of this one out loud?"

= I suppose that is not an unreasonable request. =

"A man lit three candles on a certain day each year. Each candle held symbolic significance: one was for the time that had passed before he was alive; one was for the time of his life; and one was for time that passed after he had died. Each year the man would stare and watch the candles until they had burned out.

Was the man really watching time go by in any symbolic sense? He thought so. He thought that each flicker of the flame was a moment of time that had passed or one that would pass.

At the moment of abstraction, when the man was imagining his life and his existence as a metaphor of the three candles, he was free: not free from rules of conduct or social constraints, but free to understand, to imagine, to make metaphor."

He barely made out that she was reading about the concept of thought and contemplation itself, but, more importantly, she read with a conviction beyond what he expected from her soft, quiet voice. He knew he would have a hard time comprehending the subject, but he never expected to be distracted by her voice itself.

* * *

A/N: I'd like to thank Eidos Interactive and Bungie Studios for their unwitting assistance with some of the deeper concepts of this chapter. If anybody knows what I'm referencing, leave it in a comment and you'll win an Internet.  
A/N 2: Ask me about the drone programs, I dare you.


	16. Chapter 15: Darkness

Answers:  
Bird of Hermes: I can't promise a happy ending, this IS Evangelion, after all, but I'm glad you're enjoying this interpretation of the canon.

Fanus: Not paranoia, just hate. The collateral damage rate for drone strikes are roughly three times higher than piloted planes. I have no problem whatsoever with the efforts to ban drone usage. Human pilots are intelligent and intuitive, a nerd with a drone that's 12000 miles away from him isn't.

textdumppp: Congratulations. Here's your Internet! Now, I told myself that I wouldn't alter the storyline, only try to improve it, and that means no radical changes. This is a fix fic, plain and simple. And, for the record, you're wrong. The German Air Force is still referred to as 'Luftwaffe' and it still uses the Iron Cross as it's official identification.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 15: Darkness

* * *

Ritsuko, Maya, and Shigeru came out of the cheap topside laundromat, complaining about prices and their collective lack of a social life. The trio happened to meet Professor Fuyutsuki on their monorail back to headquarters.

"Professor! What a pleasant suprise seeing you on the surface!" Maya greeted him with her cheerful non-work voice.

"I wish it could be pleasant, Lt. Hibuki, but I just sat through a meeting with our inept City Council. I can't understand why we have to listen to those buffoons; they don't even have a reason to exist anymore!"

"Our own government having no reason to exist? Sir, I never imagined you would lean so libertarian."

"It's not a political philosophy, the MAGI have made every meaningful decision for the council for the last 10 years."

"Our MAGI? Why is a military supercomputer running a city?"

"Because it's a better decision maker than the current administration. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get what little sleep I can before reporting the Council's doings to the Commander; I had to force myself to stay awake while those idiots rambled for hours." He covered his head with a newspaper and fell asleep on the way into NERV's terminal.

Shigeru commented on the scene. "We're watching a Ph.D holding evolutionary biologist sleep on a metro train like a bum."

* * *

Shinji was on hold for a short eternity trying to reach his father's office.

"Ikari here."

"Um, yes dad-"

"Shinji, whatever it is, make it quick. I'm extremely busy today."

= Well, he hasn't hung up on me, at least... =

"Well, Dad, you see... my grades are doing better in school-"

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi already told me you were improving, is that all?"

"Well, no...It turns out that I'm doing well enough to start taking Advanced Vocational Courses, but I have to go through a parent-teacher conference before I can enroll-"

"Shinji, I already know that I don't have the time to do it. When you're topside, Katsuragi is your guardian. She'll be the one to talk too. Now, I have business to attend to. Be on time for the sync tes-"

= Did my phone just go out? =

* * *

'EMERGENCY! SEQUENCE FAILING!'

Ritsuko was overseeing the unmanned activation of the newly-repaired Unit-00.

"We can't get Unit 00 Reactivated because of one damn circuit! Reprogram neural connection GTT11001 and prepare to restart the test!"

"Yes ma'am. We're reconnecting the umbilical power now, reducing connection bandwith by 0.6. Reactivating in 3..2..1. Power ON!

Every electrical appliance in the test chamber went out.

* * *

"WAIT UP! HOLD THE ELEVATOR!" Kaji sprinted up to Misato's closing elevator, managing to get one arm in the door.

"I...haven't run...that hard...since college." He got his composure back between gasps. "We had a late night, yesterday. How are you doing Miss Katsuragi?"

"I'm hungover as usual so don't bother me."

= She's already got her claws out, nice. =

The elevator halted between floors, the overhead lights went out, and the emergency battery lights emitted a dull red glow.

"Did the power just go out?" Kaji asked.

"If it did, backups will switch on any second now..."

They waited.

Kaji decided to crack a joke in the near-darkness. "If this lasts, I'm blaming Ritsuko."

* * *

"So your dad couldn't come to parent conferences...so what? Listen, Third, you're never going to get any respect from anybody if you take every little thing personally. He's the Commander of NERV. He works 25 hours a day, 8 days a week!"

Three teens were walking through the sweltering November afternoon heat, the new rotation of the planet placing Japan in a state of endless summer.

"Can you believe this heat?!" Asuka groaned "Back in Germany we still have winter! Another reason the Fatherland is completely superior to Japan!"

They made it to NERV's surface entrance where Asuka shoved Shinji and Rei aside after they repeatedly tried to run their passcards.

"I've got the newest ID, mine'll work. Idiots...What the hell!?"

"We are locked out...why?" Rei spoke up.

* * *

"Commander, all communication lines are down and we've been unable to activate backup power."

"We have three backup power systems...there's no way that they could all fail...unless..."

* * *

"Dammit the emergency phone's not working!"

"Anything else we can do, Sunshine?"

"Not in the mood, Kaji. All we can do is wait for the power to come back. We're suppossed to be triple redundant...unless-"

"Unless somebody here in the Geofront got into NERV's engineering levels and sabotaged every power system." Kaji finished her sentence for her. "It's brilliant, in a corrupt and demented kind of way..."

* * *

"Dr. Akagi, what is your intrepretation?"

"Disabling the power would allow an infiltrator to map the complete security layout of the GeoFront. Cracks, Codes, ID Swipes, all of it. The MAGI is running off of our battery cabinets; firewalls and active intrusion detection are still online, and I can run a high CPU priority loop program on it to stop data mining, but I'll have to run it by hand."

"It's our best security option now, Doctor, make the climb down. New Directive! Any electrical device running on our battery backup that isn't the MAGI is getting shut down!"

"Sir, that includes climate control and oxygen rebreathing-"

"Do it!"

"Yes, Professor."

The Professor looked to the Commander. "If an Angel attacks now, we're completely exposed."

* * *

Japan Air Self Defense Force Officers were reviewing the latest radar developments.

"Unidentified object approaching Tokyo-3"

"Has NERV responded to this yet?"

"Negative sir, all communications with Tokyo-3 or NERV HQ have failed. We can assume that this is the 'Tenth Angel'"

"Preflight a T-41. You'll be delivering the report to them by hand. I want you off the ground in 15 minutes."

* * *

Asuka doesn't like being confused. "Nobody's answering any calls whatsoever! And there's three of us so it can't just be one of our cards. How do we get in?"

"It would seem that none of the facilities work." Rei brought out her emergency protocol workbook. "We will have to walk down one of the emergency shafts to the GeoFront's ground level."

"Rei," Shinji argued, "that's 300 meters down!"

"There are several tunnels with a safe walking grade. They were installed as emergency exits into the upper city."

"Ohh nooo, Wondergirl, you are not taking over here! I'm in charge and we're going to...um...walk down one of the emergency shafts to the GeoFront's ground level...Don't look at me like that!"

* * *

Makoto Hyuga occasionally let his well-known attraction to Misato get the better of him. Today he was doing her errands for her when he heard a loudspeaker message being broadcast from a small plane flying low and slow above his head.

'A suspected Angel is approaching Tokyo-3, all civilians please proceed to available shelter space.'

"The next Angel attack! I have to get to HQ!" He ran to the nearest monorail station to find the station empty and the nearest electric train dead on the tracks.

'Vote for Takahashi! The only Candidate that cares about the truth!' A propaganda truck drove nearby as Hyuga ran into the middle of the road.

"Hey you idiot! get out of the road!"

Hyuga walked up to the driver's door and flashed his NERV ID "By order of the United Nations, I'm officially comandeering this car!" = I've always wanted to say that! =

Hyuga's transporation was careening down the empty highway as they approached the NERV checkpoint, with the road gate still down. The young female campaign worker was panicking as the truck's driver was living his dream of being an action movie driver.

"Stop the truck we're gonna crash!"

"No way! That gate's made of wood; we're going right through!" The driver was laughing maniacally as they burst through the gate.

* * *

"Asuka, you've taken us in a circle." Shinji said as they came through a door they've already opened.

"All you do is complain, Third! Stop being so negative!"

"Me?! You've got absolutely no idea where we are-"

"Silence, please." Rei heard the sound of wheels and an engine deep in the facility below them.

"What is it, First?"

"Listen."

Shinji and Asuka heard Hyuga's voice over a megaphone. "The Angels are coming! The Angels are coming!"

"If there is an Angel approaching, then we must not waste time. We can shortcut through the ventilation system."

"We can what through the where, Wondergirl? I am not slithering through hot and greasy machinery!"

* * *

"We look idiotic!" Asuka growled as she slithered through the hot and greasy machinery.

"...You know, I don't get it."

"Get what, Third?"

"Angels are messengers from God, right? Why would we want to fight them?"

"The term 'Angel' is but a name, Pilot Ikari. They are, in reality, extraterrestrial beings. They are not spiritual messengers."

"You shut up, First, Shinji asked me! We're fighting them because they attacked us first!"

"Asuka, Rei's answer is probably right, too."

"She wasn't part of that conversation. She isn't part of this one either!" She glared at her quiet counterpart as they came to a fork in their path.

"We turn right here, now come on!"

"I believe the correct direction is to the left."

"Do not contradict me, doll! Shinji, tell her that I'm right."

Shinji froze with a deer in the headlights expression. = If I agree with Asuka, then we'll get even more lost; if I tell her that Rei is right, Asuka will kill me! = He gave the bravest, most intelligent answer he could muster.

"Oh...um...well...I'm not sure..." = Smooth, Shinji =

"I'M in charge, here, and I say we go right!"

* * *

"Asuka, why are walking up? Shouldn't we be going down?"

"Because we are! If you know so much better why didn't you speak up earlier?!" Asuka walked to the nearby door and opened it to come face to face with a giant spike leg slamming into the ground. She screamed and slammed the door "Great news, I've visually confirmed the Angel's presence. Now we're aware of our opponent!...Don't look at me like that!"

"We do not have time to continue backtracking. Follow me." Rei took the lead and walked back where they came from.

"Slow down, First. I've got questions for you."

"Then ask them while we are moving. We do not have time to slow down."

"How's it feel to be the Commander's favorite?"

"Asuka," Shinji actually spoke up; "This is not the time." She ignored him and continued her antagonism.

"How much special treatment do you get? Let me guess, 5-star apartment? Dinner at the Commander's table? How much does he pay you?" Rei ignored her and kept walking until Askua ran around her and blocked her path.

"Stop acting so smug! You're always so perfect and superior, you hate the thought of working with someone who actually earned her position here, don't you!?"

Shinji heard Asuka's baseless criticism and felt sick. = Rei's just absorbing all of Asuka's hate! Dammit Shinji do something! = Rei spoke before Shinji worked up any nerve.

"I do not act superior. I am not treated any better, either. I know that for a fact."

= Rei just defended herself...from Asuka! = Shinji thought in amazement as they came to a recently caved-in tunnel. "There's no way we're getting through that wreckage, and I'm not moving any of it, Asuka."

"We will need to break into another ventilation duct."

Asuka was bristling by this point. "You really will do anything to stay on top, won't you, Doll-"

"Asuka, SHUT UP." She whipped around to see the cold expression on Shinji's face. "The only person who cares about being number one is you. Rei and I just want to kill this thing and go back to having a normal day! Leave. Rei. Alone."

"You...you...you little shit!" Asuka swung a fist at Shinji only to have him easily step out of the way.

"You can attack me all day, but you won't hit me unless I decide to allow you." = She's just like Touji, she has absolutely no self-control. = Shinji thought as he avoided Asuka's aimless attacks until she swung herself tired.

Rei was dismantling another vent while her thoughts became occupied with the two pilots. = Shinji...= It was becoming more comfortable for her to think about him. =...he is taking Pilot Soryu's abuse...just to stand up for me. He has done so much...giving...for me. Why? =

* * *

"Start the isolated Diesel generator, we'll charge the Unit's internal batteries and attach the Lithium external packs. Between the two power sources, that should give them 11 minutes of fighting time." Commander Ikari stated to Ritsuko down in Evangelion storage.

"Sir, we need to refrain from using the battery packs, they're too much of an explosion hazard!"

"We have no other sources of power. It's a risk we will be forced to take. All Right, Men! Grab a lift cable and pull! We need every hand in the chambers to open the armor hatch!" Commander Ikari took a position on the lifts with the maintenance crews to open the entry plug shafts.

Ritsuko ordered her engineers to begin the plug connection. = When are those damn kids going to show up?...Am I hearing...voices? =

A garbled sound came through the overhead air duct. "Don't you look up my skirt you pervert! I DIDN'T!"

A few moments of bashing and rattling later, and Shinji fell through the duct with Asuka throttling him, her crushing him to the ground when they fell. Rei landed gracefully beside them.

"You three! It's about time! Commander, they're here!"

He looked down at the pile of kids under the air vent. "Prepare the plugs for manual entry! Open the hatches!"

Shinji climbed up and went to Ritsuko. "We're here, but if the power's out..."

"Your dad has been personally overseeing the manual launch. He's still preparing the Units now."

"MY dad has been..." Shinji looked up to the maintainence catwalks in wonder.

"Get plugged, we're going to have to use the Evas to force away the restraints."

Commander Ikari gave the final order. "Remove all restraints and bolts! Evangelion Units will be leaving on foot!"

* * *

"This is embarassing!" Asuka shouted over the radio. "We're crawling like insects!" Above the exit shaft, the insectoid Angel began spilling it's acidic tears onto the launch door, dissolving it. The highly-corrosive liquid spilled down into the shaft, onto the climbing Units. Asuka felt Unit-02's armored boot dissolve and screamed as she and it fell down the shaft, colliding and taking Units 00 and 01 with her. They crashed to the bottom of the shaft.

"We've wasted 7 minutes of power! How do we get to this thing?" Shinji worried out loud.

"The Angel appears to know that destroying this shaft is the fastest route to Terminal Dogma." Rei analyzed. "Its acid is corrosive enogh that it will not need to blast or drill its way down."

"Then how do we kill it without it dissolving us first?"

"I've got an Idea!" Asuka cut in. "Raise AT Field to Max Power!" The tunnel shook as the shield grew. "Unit-02 is the newest and strongest. After I climb up to neutralize the field, I'll get out of the way and Shinji will unload on this thing when scans show the fields are down. Wondergirl, you keep him fed with ammunition."

"Pilot Soryu, you will be placing the newest Unit at risk with your plan. I should go and neutralize the field."

"And let you get all the glory? Yeah right!"

"Rei, don't worry, if Asuka wants to wreck Unit-02, I say more power to her." Shinji commented dryly.

"I hardly plan to wreck my Unit-02, Shinji. Then it's settled. Get to your positions!" Asuka shouted and started climbing up the shaft. "Shinji' I'm getting close and the fields are coming down!" She climbed up to spitting distance from the Angel and flipped to a prone position, balancing in the shaft.

"Wait! Asuka! Don't turn your back to the Angel! The battery pack's exposed!"

The warning was too late. A large volume of acid spilled onto the battery's shell, dissolving it and exposing the electrified Lithium to the atmosphere. A plume of plasma and flame shot up from the battery, simultaneously burning Unit 02 all across its body and burning the Angel's abdomen, causing its flesh to crack and break open, exposing the core to the volley of fire. Asuka screamed in pain and tumbled down the shaft to be caught by Shinji.

"Ayanami! Asuka's on fire! Come on, help me carry her back to the chambers!" They quickly dragged Unit-02 back to the Eva storage for Ritsuko to see the residue from the Lithium explosion.

"What the hell happened?!"

"Dr. Akagi," Rei answered, "Unit-02's Lithium external battery was dissolved in some form of acid, it exploded and lit both Unit-02 and the Angel on fire. The Angel is burning alive as we speak."

Above them, there was the sound and shockwave from an Angel-sized explosion.

Ritsuko gave her analysis. "Unit-02 is going to need hazardous materials treatment and extensive repair. How's the pilot?"

"It stings, but I'm OK." Asuka answered.

"Then I hate to do this to you, Asuka, but Unit-02 is going on reserve until it's decomtaminated."

"I understand. Dammit."

"How long will this power stay out?" The Commander asked from his position in the Eva chambers, just as the lights came back on.

* * *

"Please open, I have to pee!" Misato cringed as she tried to open the elevator's emergency hatch.

= Please open, I'm on the bottom! = Kaji thought to himself as Misato was balancing on his shoulders.

"Are you looking up my skirt?!"

"No, as a matter of fact, I'm not."

"Oh. Well, thanks, I guess."

The power came back, the elevator rocked, the pair collapsed into each other's arms, and Kaji started laughing at the absurd situation. Misato eventually giggled and hugged the man trapped under her. It wasn't like anything more strange could happen after all that.

The door opened for Ritsuko and Maya to find two laughing idiots sprawled out over the elevator floor.

"Perverts."

* * *

The city was getting power back in slow stages.

"You know, without all the city lights, the night sky is so bright, you can see every star in the sky." Shinji mused out loud.

"Mankind fears the darkness, and scratches it away with fire." Rei answered him.

"Please, Wondergirl, you understimate mankind. Sometimes darkness is a good thing. If you're in darkness, your eyes become stronger. If your enemies are brought from the light into darkness, they're blind. They can't see you, but you can still see them. And that's how you can defeat them." Asuka challenged Rei's philosophy with her own.

* * *

Deep in NERV's poorly-lit sublevels, a female figure with long, twin ponytailed hair slipped out of the shadows after restarting the complex's power substation.

"Sorry for the damage, Unit-02, but if I'm going to save this place, I have to learn it inside and out...now I wonder where Mr. Inspector is?..." She made her way back up to find her international contact.

* * *

A/N: Look up some Lithium battery videos on youtube (and please don't try it at home)


	17. Chapter 16: Space

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 16: Space

A/N: Open youtube in a new tab. /watch?v=jeqPannSteI

* * *

Shinji thought back to the previous day when he convinced Ritsuko to do him a small favor.

"Shinji, personnel data is confidential. I can't give you any records regarding Rei. You two get along, why not just talk to her?"

"Because whenever I ask about any hobbies or interests she has outside of NERV, she just says that 'What I do is unimportant.' When I try to press the matter, she just drifts off to nowhere and starts sounding like she hates herself..."

"And hating yourself is your area of expertise, right?"

"Exactly!...Hey Wait! That's not funny!"

Ritsuko smirked and then contemplated for a moment. = ...If I can get Rei to start spending all her time with Shinji, then I have exclusive access to Gendo...This could work out for both of us... =

"Alright, Shinji, here's what I'll do for you." She got out a notepad and started writing. "I'll note down information about Rei that you might need to work with. It's off the record and completely unofficial. Don't you ever tell anybody that I won't help you out."

"Yes, Doctor, thank you." He took the note and left as he noticed a photograph on Ritsuko's desk. It was a brown curly-haired adult holding a young blue-haired girl.

"Dr. Akagi, did you use to be a brunette?"

"I dyed it blonde in college, but that picture is my Mother, Naoko. She...died before NERV was official. She knew your mother. I don't remember if she was around when you were born."

"Oh...Then I guess we both know what it's like to lose our mom...Evening, Doctor."

= If only you knew...Shinji = Ritsuko thought as she watched him leave.

* * *

Now he was spending the majority of the night reading the custom notes for Rei Ayanami. He learned that she was suspected, but never officially diagnosed with Schizoid personality disorder, and as such, her lack of enthusiasm for anything related to people was just a character trait.

= So when she avoids people and talks like a computer, it's just because that's who she is, not because she hates anybody...  
Touji and Kensuke would just make passes at her...she and Hikari could be friends, but Asuka would put a stop to that. I just put up with Asuka's abuse, how does Rei handle it? Are Misato and I really the only people who are ever nice to her? =

He knew she was an orphan, but this listed her as having no extended next of kin or contact of any kind outside of Gendo Ikari. It listed no real hobbies or interests other than reading, studying- he was amazed to read that her IQ was 184 -and occasional classical music.

= Wait...Classical Music. =

Frankly, Shinji hated playing; he could be something of a classical prodigy- he was fluent with anything with a bow and string. Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass, in fact, he could handle the entire string section -but his Junior High school orchestra back in Edo was lousy.

= I never thought of music as a chore before playing for school, still, if Rei enjoys it, it'll be worth it. =

He dialed his cell phone..."Good Evening, Sensei...Yes, I know I never call. Dad actually has me working for him, and he keeps me busy...Well, we're getting along better than before I moved out here, at least...Yeah, my new school is alright and my grades are doing better...I have made a few friends, yes, actually that's why I called. Could you airmail my cello out? Don't worry about the price, I get paid really well for my age...Well, I wanted to play some for a friend...What do you mean 'Is it for a girl'?!...Okay, fine. Yes, she is really pretty...I found out that she enjoys classical music...Thank you, Sensei, I'll try to talk more."

He paid the shipping fee over the Internet and woke up to a large crate at his door the next morning. = He sent it at overnight speed. Thanks, Sensei, always the best for young Shinji, right? =

"Hey, Shinji, what is that thing?" Misato walked up behind him as she was groggily trudging through the morning

"It's a cello, I played it back home in Edo. I had it shipped here."

"Well, get it into your room, there's no way we can fit it in the living room. Play something pretty for us later, okay." She walked to the kitchen for her morning beer.

= I know a few pieces, Misato... = Shinji thought as he dismantled the box and moved the stately instrument and its case...until he nearly collapsed on it when a bloody scream came from the bathroom. Asuka barreled through the hallway into the kitchen.

"THE SHOWER! IT'S TOO HOT!"

"Sorry, Asuka." Shinji finally said as he and Misato blankly stared at her.

"Sorry? SORRY?! Do you ever do anything other than apologize for things that aren't your fault?!

"...Sorry?"

"AGAIN? Are you even capable of having a normal conversation?! GROW A BACKBONE, SHINJI!"

"Not now, Asuka, unlike you, Shinji is just polite to people by default. You could learn a few things from him."

"Oh like you'd know how to act around people? You slimed your way back into an inappropriate relationship with MY Kaji!"

"Nobody is in an inappropriate relationshi-" She shot back as Kaji left her a voicemail asking to go out for drinks later that day.

"Neither of you say anything. Go get dressed, next round of sync tests are today." she ordered while red-faced.

* * *

The three Children were well into the latest sync when Misato asked Maya for the up-to-date scores.

"See for yourself...They've all improved, Rei's holding at 75, Asuka at 90, but just look at Shinji, 125 and stable with no contamination! He's operating normally above the 100 percent maximum! It's really like he was born to pilot Unit-01!"

= You have no idea, dear. = Ritsuko thought as she heard Maya's praise.

"I say we give Shinji the good news." Misato called him on the radio.

"Shinji! I have a surprise for you!"

"Uh...yes ma'am, go ahead."

"You're number One! You just busted the sync rate record!"

Shinji was too stunned to speak while Asuka felt like she was being tortured.

"Well that's just GREAT!" Asuka loudly complained to Rei in the locker rooms. "So what if I'm pissed off! Nobody ever listens to Asuka! It's always good Shinji, Great Shinji, PERFECT SHINJI!"

"Good bye." Asuka was half dressed and incoherently raving as Rei walked out of the room. She was stopped just outside the door by a gently smiling boy.

"Rei-"

"Third Child, I would advise you to avoid this area. If you wish to talk, let us move to another area. The Second is...distraught. At best." Rei began walking away.

"Oh...um...Asuka? Is she okay?"

"She is uninjured, but I believe she is violently envious of your test results."

"...The sync tests...again?"

"Pilot Soryu sees her performance in the Eva as a measure of her value as a person. By outperforming her, she sees you as an adversary."

"But-but-but I'm not her adversary! Hell, unlike you guys, I don't even know what I'm doing when we sync!"

"Pilot Soryu does not understand that. She is at a similar stage in her development as you were when you had significant problems with fear and the desire to run away."

"Kaji helped me get over that fear. Maybe he can help her...Not likely, right?

"Pilot Soryu is not an individual who would want help."

He started chuckling under his breath. "Yeah that's Asuka alright." He tensed up and tried standing straight and tall.

= Okay, Ikari, just ask and get it over with. = "Rei, what are you doing this afternoon?"

"Returning to my apartment."

"Would y-you like to come over to-to Misato's and listen to some music? A-Asuka's going shopping with Hikari and you know Misato loves having you over..."

"You are a music aficionado, Pilot Ikari?"

"Well, I'm-m a fan..." = God I sound like an idiot = "I found out, uh, from Dr. Akagi, actually, that you really like classical."

= I do enjoy Mozart and Bach... = "Very well."

Shinji felt like he was hit by lightning. = She...kind of...said yes! =

* * *

Shinji was the closest he had ever been to heaven in this moment. He somehow convinced Rei to spend the afternoon with him, Misato was working late and Asuka was out spending money, and now Rei's eyes looked visibly enamored as he drew out he melody for Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire in a private concert for her. He had brought her in and she expected him to turn on a stereo or other system, but instead he brought a well cared-for stringed instrument from his room and began playing in front of her.

= I did not expect...this...He is...talented...more than talented... =

= I can't believe it! All I had to do was find something she could relate to! =

He had moved to Bach's First Cello Suite and was playing confidently with pride until Shinji and Rei both jumped at the sound of applause coming from the doorway.

"Beautiful music, Shinji. I didn't know you had the talen-...What The Hell Is She Doing Here?!"

"She's a guest, Asuka."

"Yeah, no suprise there, only a Doll as boring as her could enjoy music that's 400 years old!"

Shinji looked at Rei who responded.

"You were applauding him, and you do not look at yourself as a doll."

"Shut up, First, you are nobody to guess how I look at anyone!"

= That's it. I don't get why Asuka sees everything as a competition, but Rei isn't going to be the victim of it. =

"Allow me to educate you, Asuka."

He started picking out the strings one note at a time.

"SAIL. This is an American song. Hard Rock. And it is (NOT) boring."

He looked up as Asuka. His face looked as rough and angry as the music. Asuka felt- = No way! I'm not afraid of him! I'm not! I'm not! I'm not...=

He turned back to see Rei's red eyes, smiling again as he continued playing the raw sound.

Misato ran into the room as Shinji was punishing his instrument. He ended the music when she started giving orders.

"We've got the report. The Eleventh Angel is here now! Asuka, Unit 02 is still tainted by the acid, so you're taking third position. Shinji and Rei are one and two."

"WHAT?! I'm not going to let some acid burns slow me down!"

"No, but I am! Now get in the car, all of you!"

* * *

Fortunately, none of them were sick by the time Misato stopped the car.

"Get plugged and get ready to launch! You'll be briefed en route!"

* * *

"Rei, Asuka, are you in support positions?" Shinji had his Evangelion-sized Desert Eagle handgun and progressive knife drawn.

"I am nearly there, Pilot Ikari." Rei had her weapon of choice, Unit 00's precision rifle.

"Of course I'm not! I'm in a partially disabled Unit, dammit!" Asuka somehow got ahold of a skyscraper-sized battleaxe.

"What are we looking at, Misato?"

"We're not completely sure. The sphere is only moving at 2.5 kilometers per hour and it isn't deploying an AT field. Approach with extreme caution!"

"Hey, Shinji, since you're number one, why don't you go take it out in one shot? You're the number one sync holder and bravest pilot ever to live, aren't you?" Asuka antagonized.

"You know what, Asuka, fine! Then maybe you'll shut up!" Shinji raised his weapon and stepped from behind the building he was covering.

"Don't listen to her, Shinji, stick to the plan!" Misato warned him.

"You said it yourself, Misato. We don't really have a plan." He fired into the sphere only to have it vanish before their eyes.

"What the hell? Is it a bubble or something?"

"BLUE MATCH! AT FIELD DETECTED! It's directly below Unit 01!" Hyuga shouted from the MAGI's bridge terminal.

"What do you mean 'Under Unit-01?!' MOVE SHINJI!" Misato demanded.

"The sphere is just an Illusion! The real Angel is the black shadow under Unit-01!" Unit-01 tried to jump away, but its feet started sinking into the ground.

"What's going on? Rei, Asuka, HELP ME!" Shinji screamed in terror as his 50-foot tall robot sunk into what he thought was the solid concrete city streets.

"Misato! What's happening?!"

"Rei, Asuka, get him out of there!"

Rei's rifle fire only made the sphere dissapear again, but she did succeed in knocking down an office building. Asuka ran to Unit 01 only to have her feet to begin to sink.

"The Shadow! It's spreading!" She jumped out of the way before she could be swallowed. "The entire city is sinking!"

"All right...Scrub the mission! Rei and Asuka, get back here now!"

Rei spoke up. "Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, Shinji is still in danger!"

"...It doesn't matter. Get back to base. That's an order."

* * *

Misato had all hands at the forward operating base gathered for a briefing.

"Based on our observations, Unit-01 was swallowed whole without any damage to it's actual frame or components. After the power cable severed, battery backup should sustain the system of as long as Shinji can keep life support active. Best-case scenario is that he has 16 hours of breathable LCL vapor. After that, suffocation becomes inevitable." Ritsuko concluded.

"Let's see, he defied the operation, took matters into his own hands, rushed headlong into a confrontation...He really got what he deserved!" Asuka stated to everyone who can hear her. She turned around to find Rei standing right behind her and glaring into her eyes. "What? Are my comments about Shinji pissing you off?!"

"I wonder, do you only pilot the Eva so you can act superior to others?"

"That's enough you two, Asuka's right. Shinji acted out of emotion without consulting anyone. He'll be reprimanded when- if...we get him back..." Misato stated, only to have Rei come to Shinji's defense.

"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, is it not true that we were ordered to confront this opponent without even the most broad and basic of intelligence?"

"Yes, Rei, that's all we could do."

"Was our objective not to eliminate the opponent after making visual contact and confirming a safe shooting solution?"

"Yes, Rei..." Misato saw where she was taking this.

"As our target only appeared to be a static sphere, would you have agreed that Shinji's position was an advantageous shooting position?"

"No, Rei! He was too close!"

"That is untrue, Lt. Colonel, he was several kilometers from the airborne portion of the sphere. The physical shadow spread to his location in order to attack him."

"Get to the point, Wondergirl!" Rei ignored the German redhead.

"The point that I am attempting to reinforce is that Pilot Ikari acted within the realm of his training and experience, and, though he was overaggressive and undercautious, there was no alternate action that he could have taken, based on the intelligence we were given."

"God, Wondergirl could you be anymore obvious? Why not just go find him in that shadow and suck him off right now?"

"Asuka, that's completely uncalled for! I'm a hair's width away from giving you an NJP for your behaivor out here!" Misato growled. "Rei, that observation is...thorough, but it does not excuse him from his actions."

"I am well aware of that, Lt. Colonel. I was ensuring that it also does not excuse Pilot Soryu from her actions. Her treatment of Pilot Ikari borders on the abusive."

"Abusive?! Misato, are you listening to her?!"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Rei, I'm impressed, I've never seen you so, well, protective before."

"I do not agree with these attacks on Shinji's character; none of us could have predicted the behaivor of this opponent. It does not seem to abide by normal human physics."

= ...Normal human physics...God, I'm an Idiot! = She pulled out her portable radio. "Ritsuko, when will the MAGI's latest analysis be ready?"

"As soon as you can assemble an audience, Katsuragi."

* * *

Shinji reopened Unit-01 view monitors. = More white space...I've heard that boredom kills, but I never actually thought I'd be the one to die from it. Radar and sonar have no reflection...8 hours and counting...It's cold, unbelievably cold...The LCL is getting thick, it smells like blood...waitaminute what am I saying? It always smells like blood...Carbon Dioxide scrubbers are getting full...dammit...Dammit!...No. I won't be afraid. If I'm going to die in here, I'm going to go with dignity and courage. Sensei and Kaji would be pissed if I didn't...I may never see Rei again, and I was so close. I may never see Misato...or Asuka...I haven't talked to Touji or Kensuke since before these back-to back attacks. I wonder if Touji ever asked Hikari out like he said he would. I wonder what Rei would say if I do...=

Shinji tried filling his head with silent one-sided conversation to remain alert, but found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"So this Angel is actually the flat shadow?"

"Correct. The AT field is somehow being used as a portal to a self-contained universe, known to theoretical physicists as a Sea of Durac. Our best guess is that the shadow sends whatever it swallows into the levitating sphere, which acts like a miniature Dyson Sphere."

"Dyson Sphere?"

"A hollow ball that catches and collects all of the output energy of a light-creating device. Researchers have created designs of a solar-system sized ball that completely surrounds a star. This Angel appears to use the same function as a trap for the objects it swallows in the shadow."

"What do we do about it."

"I thought you'd never ask. The MAGI determined that if our entire N2 Inventory were pinpoint-bombed into the shadow, the explosion would pop the sphere like a baloon, destroying both objects. The cost includes the destruction of everything inside the sphere."

"DR. AKAGI! According to your own research, Unit-01 and First Lieutenant Ikari just happen to be 'inside the sphere'! If this is your best plan, the Operations Director has just decided to veto it!"

"Recovery of Unit 01, even recovery of a destroyed Unit, takes priority. Under these conditions, the pilot's life is irrelevan-" Ritsuko's glasses flew away as Misato's slap nearly knocked the doctor to the ground.

"This was your operation, Misato! If Shinji's death is anybody's fault, it's yours!"

"That's bullshit! Why would the Commander want Unit 01 back without a pilot?!" = I hope Kaji finds whatever he's investigating...He's the only one who can get me answers here...Even Ritsuko is the enemy now... =

Misato was snapped out of her thoughts. "Misato, I'm taking command...Now. The attack is going forward...If I can get Shinji back, I'll try, trust me."

* * *

Shinji woke up to the inside of a subway car. = Where am I? I'm supposed to be inside Unit-01! =

"Wh-Who's there?" He asked to the empty space.

"Who? Shinji Ikari."

"That's me."

"I am you. I am the Shinji Ikari that is observed."

"'The Shinji Ikari that is observed?' What does that mean? I'm the Shinji Ikari that is observed!"

"No, you are the Shinji Ikari that you observe. The Shinji Ikari that is observed by Misato Katsuragi, Asuka Soryu, Rei Ayanami, and Gendo Ikari are all different Shinji Ikari's, but they are all equally real. You are afraid of the Shinji Ikari that is observed. You are afraid of being hurt. You are afraid of Father who abandoned you."

"I abandoned him just the same! Now, it's different! He praises me, he understands me!"

"Do you want to be praised by the man who abandoned you?"

"I want a chance to change things between me and him!"

"Do you want that chance if you are the only one who changes? Gendo Ikari has a closed mind, he will not change for you. You are certain of this. You are decieving yourself by believing otherwise."

"I'm not decieving myself! If I can change, I know for a fact that he can! He is capable of being a father, I see it everytime Rei looks at him!"

"Rei Ayanami. Do you not realize that she is the child that he wanted? He is capable of treating you as well as he has treated her. He chooses not to. If he did, he would have done so by now."

"No. I have to show him that I've changed before he will change for me. I can't want him to change without first changing myself."

"Are you certain that Gendo Ikari is the one that you wish to change for? Why would you not change for Misato Katsuragi?"

"I don't need to change for Misato! She is happy with the way I am! I'm happy with the way she is!"

"Why would you not change for Asuka Soryu?"

"Because I already treat her with all the respect and friendship she deserves, and then some! She treats me- and Rei -with nothing but contempt!

"Rei Ayanami."

"What about her?"

"Would you change for her?"

"Of course I would; I already am! And she's changing for me!"

"You cannot change for both Rei Ayanami and Gendo Ikari. The Shinji Ikari they desire is not the same Shinji Ikari. You can only choose one change to make."

"That's not true!"

"You fear Rei Ayanami, why?"

"Because I'm afraid of anybody who could reject me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to run away from her! In the past- my past, you would be right, I guess, but I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of being liked or hated. I understand that my actions and my relationships can lead to pain. Ryouji Kaji taught me that. I musn't run away from pain. I musn't run away from them. I musn't run away from You! I'm not afraid of you, I'm getting angry at you! I'm getting angry at this place!"

Unit-01 roared within its infinite prison and clawed its way to life.

* * *

"Ma'am, bombers are 60 seconds out-"

Cracks appeared on the sphere and the surface of the shadow.

"Dr. Akagi, we've got movement inside of the Angel!"

Ritsuko froze and began blankly staring at the video feed. Misato saw her hesitation and spoke up.

"Don't wait for an invitation! What's the analysis!"

"Sorry, ma'am but we've got no idea!"

"Then Shinji must be doing it!" Misato exclaimed.

"That's impossible! The battery power in Unit-01 would have expired by now, there's no energy to power the core!" Ritsuko finally stated.

"Unless it's going berserk!" Misato answered her.

"It can't go berserk again! I've fixed that! There are too many restrictions in place now-" She was struck dumb as a purple fist punched a hole out from inside the sphere.

Misato snatched Ritsuko's radio from her hand. "SCRUB THE MISSION! Repeat, Scrub the mission! All bombers and fighter escorts bug out! Again, bug out 10 minutes ago!"

Cracks continued to split and spread on the surface as LCL flooded out of the sphere, the Angel's lifeblood draining from it. Unit-01, bloodied and bathed in the primordial liquid, clawed its way out of the Angel, jumping and landing on its feet 200 feet below.

The bridge crew, Ritsuko and Misato included, were all terrified. Ritsuko spoke while Misato thought silently.

"We haven't been building weapons...we've been creating monsters!"

= There is no one on this Earth qualified to wield the Eva's destructive power...Just what is NERV's real plan with them? What happens to the Eva Units when the Angels are all dead? I hope Kaji gets answers soon... =

* * *

= Delerium...that means that I'm losing oxygen...= Shinji thought as he awoke in the Eva's cockpit, his senses barely returning to him. = I feel so...dull. =

"SHINJI...SHINJI!" He opened his eyes to see Misato above him shouting his name. She broke down crying and hugged him as he barely came to.

"So what happened to reprimanding him, Misato?" Asuka prodded from outside the entry plug.

"Asuka. NOT. NOW."

"M-Mis-ato?"

"Shh, Shinji, don't speak, save what strength you have."

"Are...they safe?"

Misato looked up and smiled "They're fine. Asuka's...Asuka, but Rei-"

Shinji looked terrified at that interjection. "No, Shinji...Shinji, stay with me...Rei's fine too, she just..." Misato repeated everything Rei said about him.

* * *

"Commander, I believe Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi is growing critical of the Evangelion program."

"Leave her be, Doctor. We need her until the destruction of the final Angel, possibly longer."

"The Evas are living, thinking beings. What happens if one of the Units decides to rebel against the pain and injuries we put them through?"

"Once their purpose has been served, that will not be a danger."

"And what of the Children? What of their purpose? If Shinji or Rei ever really learn of the role they play, they'll spark a rebellion."

"The First Child is controllable, and the Third is too weak to present any danger. You will be accompanying me tonight, Ritsuko?"

"Of course, Commander." = But you are wrong about both of them...=

* * *

Shinji awoke looking at that ceiling in NERV's hospital recovery, again. He looked up at Rei sitting at his bedside, again.

"Just rest today. The Angel is gone. We have taken care of the cleanup."

"...I feel fine, actually. I'm kind of used to this place by now."

"Well, then, that's good for you." She began to leave.

= That's all you can say?! Okay, my turn. =

He grabbed her hand as she was walking out and pulled her into a close hug. He felt her begin to fight him; he let go and started to explain before she could leave.

"Listen, Rei, remember when I said that I was talking to Dr. Akagi about you? She told me that you don't like associating with people and that you hate that kind of contact."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Misato told me everything you said to Asuka. It was really kind of you to do that for me."

"She was spreading false statments about you. It was wrong."

"And I hugged you because I believe the way you were raised was wrong. You were conditioned to reject people...I wasn't conditioned, I just naturally pushed people away. I was afraid of...everybody. For you, my dad made it so that you were isolated. Neither of those are ways to live, trust me."

"Commander Ikari has never abused me."

"No, but he has neglected you. The methods are different but the end results can be dangerously similar."

"Why is my way wrong? I do not fear people, I simply do not rely on them." She was actually getting frustrated with his prodding.

"Remember when me and Asuka refused to work together? We lost, badly-"

"We work together well, that is not a problem."

"We had to learn to trust one another first, however. Learning about you made me want to get to know you better, so I started reading up on you. I learned that your IQ is past 'Genius' level. I learned that you like Bach- It's why I had my cello shipped out here, so I could play it for you. -and I learned that you don't really like people...That last part's fine by me, I don't really like people either."

"Then why do you like me?"

"Because you aren't just 'people'. You're Rei, and I want to try to be 'Shinji', not just 'Pilot Ikari' or 'Commander Ikari's son'."

"I am not capable of building social relationships-"

"That's not true. My dad's probably just never let you try."

"And you believe I can?"

"Rei, this time last month I would have been too scared to talk to you about this. You...and Kaji, frankly...helped me grow past that. I want to try growing with you now."

= I can't describe my reaction to him...Am I flattered? Embarrassed? Confused? ...Maybe 'trying' with Shinji will help solve my confusion. =

"I will try, then, Shinji...What should I do?"

"...Let me hug you again, but this time, try not to feel afraid."

He lightly wrapped his arms around her waist and slightly rested his head against her soft hair.

"How do you feel now?"

= It is still unnerving, but it is not hostile. = "Confused, Shinji. I will not lie to you, it is a strange, alien sensation, but it is not painful or unpleasant."

= Well, that's an improvement I guess. = "It'll feel more natural if you spend more time with people. Start coming over to Misato's more often, and we'll find something to do together after school and on weekends"

"We already-"

"I mean other than training at NERV..."

Asuka was just outside the room. = I...I...That wimp! He just starts spilling his guts to Wondergirl and she's all over him! They really are perfect for each other! = She thought with nothing but contempt. She takes off running away from the hospital wing, telling herself not to cry over a loser like Shinji.

* * *

A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, It let me dive down into my well of philosophical one liners.  
A/N 2: Listening to Hard Rock played on orchestral pieces is enlightening, isn't it? Vitamin String Quartet is incredible.  
A/N 3: Sorry if Rei is out of character at the end. I had a hard time balancing emotionless/reluctant and curiousity. On the other hand, Asuka being a pain in the ass is never out of character...


	18. Chapter 17: Allies

Answers:  
ADS: I answered you via PM  
Akuma: I pmmed you as well.  
Ulyces: I do have a hard time writing Rei convincingly. I think I'm getting better, though.  
Joker: Two things. One: basic genetic engineering has proven that clones are not identical to their donors. Two: You kind of shot down your own point, the thing about Asuka is that she's too prideful to admit or 'solve her problem'. And it shows, she gets worse as the series progresses.  
Fanus: I'm going to start calling everything a 'shadow abyss to white hell' from now on. Thanks a lot.

Disclaimer: See Prologue

Chapter 17: Allies

* * *

"One-Oh-Eight...One Hundred and Eight..." mused a 16 year old, twin-ponytailed brunette girl as her company, a poorly shaven man, also with a ponytail, sorted though rubble and trash at they location they were photographing.

"108 different locations, 108 different businesses under the ownership of the Marduk Institute, every one of them either a landfill, a dirt parking lot, or a bombed-out warehouse. Really, Ryouji, is it time for me to say that I smell a rat?"

"We should have started baiting the mousetraps months ago, Mari." The unshaven man replied. "The Marduk Institute. A Billion-Yen medical research group whose primary goal is to identify the prospective Evangelion Unit Pilots for the NERV organization. It might as well be a slush fund for alcohol and prostitutes."

"Something funny about their findings, the possible pilots are always teenage kids, either orphans with no next of kin, or, more commonly, a dead mother and a living father. Only those two criteria seem to match across the three active pilots. The Fourth possibility has a dead mom, and he still lives with his father and little sister."

"You know, you've never acted concerned about being an orphan."

"I also don't count as a Numbered Child, either. Unit-05 was a deeper experimental Unit than even Unit-00, and they called me the 'Problem Child' for a reason. No next of kin means no temptation about writing home. It helps me keep my security clearance. Still, who does NERV actually want for pilots? The First, Second, and Third Children have the most mismatched personalities that I've ever experienced. Third does smell pretty good, though." She shot the man a mischievous smirk.

The pair heard a knock on the door to the warehouse they were investigating. "It's me."

Ryouji Kaji opened the door to find an old woman petting a lost cat.

"You are getting too deep, at this point. SEELE and NERV both have more power than the United Nations. Lorenz and Ikari both suspect you. If you dig deeper, I don't think we'll be able to protect you, Kaji."

"You're right, but I have help, this time around. Even one ally is quite a strength when you're playing The Great Game, but two are even better."

"And you have a second?"

"She'll come around when she sees what I've been finding. Now, Mari and I have to get back to the GeoFront before somebody notices we ran away..."

* * *

Neither Ikari or Fuyutsuki appreciated being berated by SEELE early on a Friday morning.

SEELE-03 SOUND ONLY: "Both programs are moving too slowly, Ikari. We've already given you Unit-02, all three Units currently in Japan are performing their tasks. Why are you so behind?"

"Because we aren't behind, gentlemen. The dummy plug system is nearly complete; soon we will not concern ourselves with inconsequential things such as those naive pilots' senses of morality and restraint. As for the other project, there are two potential triggers now. The first trigger has always been under our control, and the new trigger grows more loyal to NERV each passing day."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: "And both triggers will survive until after the Last Angel?"

"If your motions to transfer another Unit succeed, Unit-00 will be deactivated and its pilot will be taken off of active duty. That will take the original trigger away from danger, to be held until the impact date, and the new trigger can be deployed into combat without concern."

SEELE-03 SOUND ONLY: "Until the new Unit is tested onsite, Unit-02 will be deactivated first. It is still on loan from Germany, and we would hate to see it lost when there are alternatives."

"Yes, yes, but if the new Unit is a standard production model, then the testing conditions will be met without issue, and the Marduk Institute is identifying the Fourth Child as we speak. As such, I expect to have Unit-02 back in service by the time Unit-00 is deactivated."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: "The United States Air Force currently operates two Evangelion Units, both without pilots. Since America is considered a low-threat environment, we will gladly offer you one Unit if it speeds up completion of the projects. The UN will see it as a gesture of good will, and we come closer to the realization of our goal. Now, Unit-04 is currently undergoing upgrades and testing at Groom Lake. Unit-03, however, is sitting in storage at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. It's state-of-the-art, and the best candidate for transfer."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: "You can see, Ikari, that my colleagues eagerly await the hour of human perfection. Do not fail us."

"With Unit-03's power and a new pilot on the way, I am certain that we won't fail, gentlemen."

The holodeck deactivated, and the monolithic structures acting as voice terminals for SEELE's leadership vanished.

"Commander," Professor Fuyutsuki spoke up, "Weren't you just a bit callous when you were referring to Rei and your son?"

"They are tools, Professor, and if a tool breaks, it must be discarded."

* * *

Friday was an interesting day at school for Shinji Ikari. His father needed to be at some sort of conference, so he had suspended sync testing for the weekend, and that meant that he had an entire weekend to spend with his...she wasn't his girlfriend, not that Shinji wasn't trying to make it that way, but the particular girl he was focusing his efforts on didn't really understand the concept. Not for lack of knowledge, she was brilliant and wise beyond her age, she simply spent the vast majority of her life in a heavily sheltered childhood.

He made one mistake. He met Rei Ayanami at her train station and convinced her to walk to school with him, arms linked. When they entered the building, they were spotted by a crowd of their classmates, who erupted into a frenzy at seeing the two quietest, most withdrawn students in the school walking into class together as a couple, boys complaining in jealousy and girls squealing at the sight.

"Is that Shinji...and Ayanami!?"  
"Shinji?! I didn't know he had it in him!"  
"Rei? Dammit, she's gorgeous! What's Ikari got that I don't?!" "Probably deodorant."

"They look so cute together!"  
"Shinji's such a gentleman, Rei's lucky isn't she?"

They quickly maneuvered away from the attention and sat down in class 2-A, the commotion causing more than a few of their peers to miss the tardy bell.

"Shinji?"

"Sorry, Rei, I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction..."

"Perhaps we should not enter school so obviously...together."

"Don't worry about it now, they'll stop when they get distracted by the next shiny object they see."

She watched as he quickly snapped his attention to his laptop computer and glared.

"What is it, Shinji?"

"Two of the Three Stooges sent me a message."

"Does Pilot Soryu still refer to you as the 'Third Stooge'."

"Yes, but it doesn't bother me. When Hikari does it, it sounds kind of funny..."

Rei felt a twinge of jealousy as Shinji mentioned the other girls so casually. = I have never experienced any dislike of Representative Horaki before, why should I now? =

As Rei was self-reflecting, Shinji was dealing with his friends.

_Ikari01  
Yes, you two did see me walk in with Rei. Get over it._

_3pointshot  
Hey we aren't mad or anything...we just couldn't believe that you actually went for it!_

_Ikari01  
Look, I'm going to level with you two. Rei had a very sheltered life at NERV. She doesn't handle lots of hyperactive attention well, so she hangs out with me because I have the self-control not to act like caveman around her. So please, nix the terrorizing, if just for her sake._

_RailGun  
Hey, if it's like that we won't do anything to you guys, we promise!_

_Ikari01  
Great, thanks. Now tell me about that betting pool that you've been running behind my back._

_3pointshot  
Sukes, he's on to us...here it is: 5000 Yen says you wouldn't make a move on her for 6 more months._

_Ikari01  
And you can either give me the whole amount or I convince Asuka to beat the money out of you and I share the winnings with her._

_2ARep  
Shinji! Talking about betting and making threats is against the school code! Do I have to report this?  
_

_Ikari01  
Hikari, Touji and Kensuke were betting on my and Rei's relationship, and that qualifies as harassment. I'm merely telling them that I'm willing to settle out of court._

_2ARep  
Oh...well that's a different story entirely. (by the way, I think you and Rei look really good together)_

_Ikari01  
Thanks, Hikari. Now, you two were thinking?_

_RailGun  
We've decided...you get your money after class, just don't tell Asuka...bastard_

_Ikari01  
Nice to do business with you._

_-Ikari01 Signout-_

= I have enough to take her to a decent dinner tonight, thanks guys. =

* * *

NERV Branch 2, USA, 0000 Hours

"All right, Gordon, your suit should keep you comfortable through all this. Now, If you would be so good as to climb up and start the charger, we'll hold the Live S2 Core at 80% until the dummy plug arrives...Very good, we'll take it from here...Power to Stage 1 Emitters in 3...2...1...Power ON...Stage 2 Emitters starting...Now. Gordon, we can't predict how long this system can handle the strain, or how long the new Core will need to be tested. Please work quickly. Now, overhead capacitors at 105%.

...It's probably nothing, probably, but I'm showing a small discrepancy in...never mind, it's well within accepted limitations. Sustaining sequence."

"We've just been informed that the dummy plug is ready to be matched to the Core. Move to the delivery system for the specimen. Perform a standard insertion...Wait! Oh God shut it down! Shutting down! Attempting shutdown! IT'S NOT SHUTTING DOWN! IT'S NOT-"

The entirety of NERV Branch 2 in the Mohave Desert vanished. A circle of space, 110 Miles across vaporized. Twelve thousand active-duty military, civillian researchers, and their families, all dead. Evangelion Unit-04, the epicenter of the explosion.

* * *

Tokyo-3, Japan, 1600 Hours

Phys Ed is the final period of the day, and a few of the girls at the pool actually managed to engage Rei in a conversation as they were finishing their swimming tests, even as a colleague of hers wasn't enjoying the change of pace.

"Tell us, Rei, when did you two decide on it?"

"Just recently. After...Shinji was injured in the latest attack. Pilot Sory- Asuka and I visited him in NERV's onsite hospital facilities." She was still having trouble referring to individuals by their social names and not their official titles, but this was as good of an opportunity to practice as any.

"Ohmygod was he hurt badly?"

"No, not at all. He was just shaken...possibly fearful...he asked me to stay with him there."

"Ohhh, that's so sweet!"

"Wait a minute, Rei, what did Asuka do?" Another girl spoke up.

"I am...not certain. She would not enter his recovery room and left before Shinji was cleared to return home."

"Wow...sounds like she was too worried to go in there and see him."

"I could not understand why. As I said, he was uninjured."

Asuka was on the other side of the pool facilities, silently fuming as she watched Rei respond well to her newfound popularity.  
= So Wondergirl steals herself a boyfriend and she's suddenly queen of the campus. And for what? She's even weaker and more vulnerable than he is! = She saw that the period was ending so she grabbed Hikari and trudged off.

"So, Rei, do you two have plans for this weekend?"

She looked puzzled and thought deeply "...No. We have not discussed any future actions..."

"Oh, well it is Shinji we're talking about. He'll probably do something wonderful for you!"

"...I am...glad that you all think so highly of Pilot Ikari."

"It's not at all hard to do, you know. He's so polite and considerate to us girls, most of the boys here are such perverts."

The girls started breaking away from her as she started looking off into the distance and thinking to herself.

"Rei? Rei?"  
"Just leave her alone, she's probably daydreaming about Prince Charming. C'mon, let's go get dressed."

= 'He's so polite and considerate to us girls...' That statement means that the other students here recognize Shinji's character... Is it wrong of me to wish that I was the only person to see that side of him? I won't leave school yet. I have no sessions today and I need more exercise. =

She re-entered the pool and began swimming laps as the guys were leaving the basketball courts.

"Okay, Shinji, how far have you two gotten in the dark? Don't skip details!" A few of the guys were badgering him, and he was not enjoying himself.

"We've hugged, okay. I'm not in this to get laid. I'm in this because, unlike you perverts, I actually care about Rei."

"OKAY THAT'S IT PARTY'S OVER! Let's get out of here, it's Friday!" Touji and Kensuke arrived and broke up the mob.

"...Thanks guys, I guess I owe you for that one."

"No you don't. We know you're trying to defend Rei's good reputation. Here's the cash, just promise us you'll take her somewhere nice with it."

"That's exactly what I planned on doing." He made his way up to the pool complex, knowing Rei wouldn't leave with all the girls.

He watched her slip through the water. She doesn't kick her feet or dig in to the current with her hands, she simply twists through it. = She swims like an Olympian. =

She returned to the starting blocks to breathe where she saw Shinji gawking at her. = It is good to know that he finds me...attractive. = She had never referred to herself as that before.

"Hello, Pilot Ikari."

"Uhh he-hey Rei, you looked really, uh, professional in the water. Where'd you learn to swim like that?"

"I practiced this style after testing the physics of our swimming facilities. Swimming exercises are thorough ways to improve fitness."

"Huh? What's the 'Physics of swimming facilities'?"

She climbed out of the water, walked over to where he was sitting and Shinji noticed that her simple blue one piece bathing suit amplified her subtle figure. The dark, slightly perverted parts of his mind realized that he'd rather see her in this outfit than the skimpy bikinis that Asuka liked wearing. = Waitaminute, you're looking at Rei! Stop thinking about Asuka! Rei looks better in a one piece anyway... = He was shaken from his thoughts by Rei repeating herself to him.

"You were asking about the physics of water."

"Oh, yeah, Rei, I was. Sorry, I got distracted..." He was blushing furiously and tried to look away from her.

"Distracted? By...me?"

"Umm...yeah." He blushed even harder.

"Shinji, I am...flattered." = Is this emotion flattery? It is a good feeling. =

"Really?"

"...Yes. I am. Do you understand the concept of a wave?"

"We studied it in physics, but I didn't learn much."

"Are you not a strong swimmer, as well?"

"No. I only know how to dog paddle. I lived with my Sensei while I was growing up, and he's getting pretty old, so he couldn't teach me much exercise stuff, only how to toss a baseball or stuff like that."

"A wave is movement with zero net change in position."

"Zero net change?"

"Yes. When an individual unit of water is trapped in a wave, it can oscillate up-down, side to side, or however the energy of the wave moves it, but it is always forced back into its original position. When I am swimming through the water, I oscillate along the entire length of the human body. I move the water around me, but the water returns to its original position. I am able to move quickly through the water without growing tired. Does that sound more understandabl-" She cut herself off when she noticed Shinji staring again.

"Shinji, you are staring."

He blinked and replied. "Yes, yes, I know I am...Sorry, I still just can't believe how smart you really are. I heard everything, and it is more understandable."

"Shinji, why do you stare at me?"

"I'm sorry, Rei, but you're really pretty and I'm a guy and I can't help myself sometimes. I'll try not to in the future."

"You do not have to apologize."

"I don't?"

"No. You may stare, similarly to the other adolescent males that attend this school, but you do not whistle, or shout, or make sexually inappropriate comments about me. But I am happy to know that you are attracted to me, Shinji."

"It's not really hard to be, Rei. Your blue hair and red eyes are colors I've never seen before, and you really are one of the smartest people I've ever met, and...you look really good in that swimsuit and..." He was staring again, this time at her lips. He leaned in towards her as her cell phone rang and she answered.

"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi? Is there anything I can do for you?...Hold one moment...

Shinji, where are your belongings?"

"Back at the basketball courts...oh, shit."

"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi called you first. You need to keep your cellular telephone close by. We are needed for an emergency briefing at headquarters. Pilot Soryu is already on her way there." She lifted the phone back up to her ear.

"Yes ma'am, we are both coming, now."

Rei stood up, pulled her school blouse and dress over her swimsuit and the pair started towards the basketball courts to find Shinji's stuff.

= Great. Now I'm turned on knowing she's still wearing that swimsuit under her uniform... =

* * *

NERV Combat personnel were assembled in the Eva pilots' ready room as Commander Ikari spoke.

"UN Inspector Kaji is our primary international contact. He will be delivering the report."

"Thank you, Commander. At midnight in Nevada, roughly 95 minutes ago, Evangelion Unit-04 exploded. The American NERV branch out there was installing the latest development for the Evas' core. It was supposed to power the Unit without needing a power supply. As the installation was made, the core vaporized everything in an 89-kilometer radius from Unit-04. The American Government is in panic mode trying to investigate. Now, having said that, the good news is that Unit-03 in Massachusetts is safe, and it's being transferred here as a gift, hopefully strengthening the US-Japanese alliance. Unlike Unit-02, it will become Japan's property and won't just be here on loan. Until it arrives, it's business as usual, we'll have a report on the chosen pilot as soon as the Unit gets here."

As Kaji finished his report he walked over to Misato. "We have to talk as soon as we aren't noticed. It's that important."

Shinji was between the two female pilots. "All those people in that blast...all dead."

Asuka agreed with him, for once. "And it was not even in a battle, just an 'accident'."

Rei finished. "Everyone has the right to live. These persons had that right stolen from them."

The NERV personnel exited the room quietly and solemnly. Things had been peaceful for just a few days...now this.

* * *

Shinji and Rei were walking closely as Dr. Ritsuko Akagi approached them.

"Rei, you missed your latest LCL immersion, you have to make it up before your anemia is amplified, come with me, now." Ritsuko lied while Shinji was listening.

"Yes ma'am."

"Dr. Akagi, will she be okay?"

"As long as we get her in treatment regularly, yes Shinji, don't worry. We won't let her die."

Somehow, that sounded...literal to Shinji.

* * *

"Okay, Kaji, what is it?" Misato was in her office with Kaji, who was giving her higher-than-top-secret details.

"Misato, you were right about the dummy plugs. We shouldn't trust them. They aren't a computer autopilot like I thought."

"Then what are they?"

"They are made of bioengineered components from a human nervous system, literally wiring a human brain into the Evangelion Unit."

"The Evas themselves are synthetic humanoids. That reveal doesn't surprise me."

"But this one will, the 'brain' isn't synthetic. It's cloned from a human donor."

"Human donor? Who?"

"That's my next question. I need every possible angle and aid I can get my dirty hands on to find out, and that means your help and trust."

"You already have it."

* * *

A/N: Man, writing a political thriller is fun!


	19. Chapter 18: Rebellion

Answers:  
dragonman: I've kind of been on a writing marathon, so I know for a fact that I've got plenty of great things to give you guys.  
Fanus: You should be able to guess the Fourth Child from the hints I've put in here.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 18: Rebellion

* * *

Hanscom Air Force Base, 0300.

"Pack mule to Hanscom tower, requesting latest weather." an Air Mobility Command C-5 Galaxy was preparing to lift a suspended Evangelion Unit from the East Coast to the JASDF's Matsushiro Air Base.

"Pack mule, this is Hanscom...heading 270 will be walled by low-level thunderstorms with lightning warnings for the remainder of the morning. You'll be climbing to Flight Level 400 passing through the turbulence until you reach altitude."

"Acknowledged, Hanscom. Requesting final clearance."

"Pack mule, you are cleared for takeoff Runway 29 for heading 270. Stay safe in the weather."

"Pack mule taking off Runway 29 for 270, Pack mule."

As the as the heavy-lifting beast rose from the ground, carrying Japan's future guardian below it, the First Lieutenant at the copilot's controls couldn't help but comment on the strange weather. "Hey, Captain, is it odd for a cloud to glow purple?"

"It may just be the moonlight, LT."

* * *

NERV HQ, Japan, 1600

Ritsuko woke Rei from the LCL Chamber. "Rei, we've had to keep you in somewhat longer than normal. What's your most recent memory?"

"I was at school, at our swimming complex, with Shinji. He was trying to kiss me...after that...nothing."

Ritsuko was taken aback. "Trying to kiss you?! Did he actually do it?"

"...He almost did. My telephone rang...Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi called us...He stopped when he heard what she had to say."

"After that?"

"I do not remember..."

"Then you have roughly 24 hours of memory loss, Rei. It's 1600 Saturday. Do you remember why Misato brought you in here?"

"...No, ma'am."

"Unit-04 in the United States exploded. It destroyed Branch 2."

Rei realized at that moment that she was changing. She had to consciously prevent herself from showing signs of shock. = Has my time with Shinji really led me to become more expressive? = She forced herself to maintain a blank expression to preserve the Doctor's opinion of the stoic girl.

"How many casualties?"

"Over 12,000. Because of our need for a...successor to Unit 00, we are receiving Unit-03 from the American East Coast."

"Why is my Unit being replaced?"

"Because it's too old and doesn't have the combat performance we need now. Unit-03 is going to be getting a new pilot-"

"Do you mean that I won't be controlling it?"

"Yes, Rei, and do not interrupt me. The Fourth Child will be initiated soon. You'll be taken out of active service." Ritsuko felt a slight resurgence of her suppressed loathing of Commander Ikari's surrogate daughter. = She cut me off...Since when does Rei talk out of turn!? =

"I...do not wish to abandon Shin- Pilot Ikari...and Soryu on the battlefield."

"If you don't retire while you still can, Rei, I can guarantee that there's going to be an attack that Unit-00 can't handle. You'll be killed in action."

"If I die, I can be replaced."

"This isn't about that, Rei." Ritsuko said with disgust. "This is about not having Unit-00 as the weakest link. If humanity is destroyed because of you, NERV will have failed completely. It's not about your self-worth or your 'friends', Rei."

"...Yes, ma'am."

"Good, then. Just so you know, until Unit-03 is active, you'll be temporarily taking Captain Soryu's position in the formation."

"I am being moved...up? Why?"

* * *

"What the hell do you mean I'm being deactivated!?"

"It's only temporary. Until Unit-03 replaces Unit-00. You're off active duty. Unit-02 still belongs to Germany and we will uphold the restrictions of the Vatican Treaty. We aren't going to be blamed for starting a second Cold War."

"And how the hell is taking me out going to help?!"

"Because if we have four active Evangelions, we'll get blamed for starting an arms race. Mutually Assured Destruction only works until somebody builds the biggest bomb. We aren't going to let 30 years of peacemaking go up in smoke to satisfy your ego."

"The cockpit of an Eva is the only place that I belong! This is wrong!"

"It's a combat weapon, Asuka, not a trophy. We have contingencies for every Unit and every Pilot, including you."

Asuka stormed away to the elevator shaft where she immediately scowled at the quiet girl riding to the surface. She huffed and stood against the wall as they ascended, the animosity Asuka felt towards Rei growing by the second.

"...You do not have to depend on your Eva for acceptance. There are other ways to do good things for the world." Rei said; an attempt to illuminate Asuka's dependence on her weapon.

"How would you know anything about me! I actually earned the right to be a pilot! You only do it because you're the Commander's little suckup!"

"I was raised from birth to pilot Unit-00. Every attempt I have made to separate myself from it has failed. Instead, it was separated from me."

"What the hell do you mean by that?!"

"After Unit-03 is confirmed, you, Shinji, and the Fourth Child will be the operational Eva pilots. I am being deactivated."

Asuka was dumbfounded. = Wondergirl's getting thrown out of the party! Now everything, the position, the fame, the Idiot's attention, I have it!...wait =

"So it's Shinji, now? Really? What else do you call him?"

"Shinji."

"That's what you just said, you idiot!"

"I...attempt to refrain from referring to him as 'Pilot Ikari'. It is an attempt to build a human connection outside of NERV. Is what I am doing...wrong?"

"Save your philosophical spiel and just tell me how you feel about him."

"...'Feel' about him?"

"Let's hear it."

"...I...do not know."

"How the hell can you 'not know'?! He does everything but shout it from the rooftops! I'm getting sick of his...obsession with you, and you just stupidly stare and say 'I don't know'!"

"...I do not know how I 'feel', but I think that he wants to help me build more human bonds, he wants to see me become more of a 'person'; and I think that I want to help him become more courageous...he thinks of himself as a coward, but I want him to see how brave he really is. I want him to see the truth...that's what I 'think'."

"...Is that so?"

Asuka spun around and almost ran out of the elevator. Growling out loud to anybody who could hear her. "She's even more stupid than he is! She's too stupid to realize she's already fallen for him! 'The Idiots'...it sounds perfect for them!"

* * *

"Commander, I do have some newsworthy information."

"Regarding?"

"The First and Third Children."

"What of them this time?"

"Your son has proceeded to create a relationship with Rei."

"Just as I predicted he would."

"...You wanted this to happen, Commander?"

"I knew it would happen from the moment the Third Child saw the First being wheeled in on a hospital bed. Although it wasn't completely by design, this could be advantageous for us. What is your opinion, Ritsuko?"

"Well, any sexual contact between the two will be quickly uncovered at their next physical examinations...Up until today I would have never concerned myself with their behaivor."

"Why?"

"Shinji used to be too timid to initiate contact with anyone. But, according to Rei herself, he attempted to kiss her yesterday."

"And?"

"Based on the explanation she gave me, Rei wasn't completely opposed to the idea. The only thing that stopped the two of them was a phone call from Misato."

"Are you concerned?"

"Considering that Rei is medically sterile, I'm not concerned about pregnancy. I am concerned with their psychological status."

"You shouldn't be. The more loyal Shinji is to Rei, the more loyal he will be to NERV. And, perhaps this social exposure will create improvement in Rei. Social exposure is important, isn't it Doctor?"

"...Yes, Commander, it is." She answered, closing the office door behind the two of them.

* * *

Rei returned to her apartment experiencing a new emotion. = I am...afraid. = She thought to herself. = If I can lose a day's memory...can I lose a week? A month? What are they truly taking from me?...I think that I am beginning to understand Shinji's tendency to feel fear before his actions..."

Before she could convince herself otherwise, she took out her cell phone and dialed the Katsuragi apartment. A squwaking racket greeted her ears until she heard the voice of her squadron commander cheerfully speaking over the family penguin.

"Katsuragi family, what can this happily dysfunctional home do for you?"

"Good evening, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Rei? Is this a social call?"

"Perhaps, I am not yet certain..."

"Well, if it is, call me Misato, we're off duty!"

"Yes ma'am."

"Now if I didn't know better, I'd bet you're looking for Shinji!"

"Why do you assume that?"

"Because Asuka told me that you two have pretty much made it official, and I love it! You two are absolutely adorable together!"

"...Thank you...Misato, however, I have a question for you."

"Really? Anything."

"Do you believe in telling the truth or maintaining security?"

"Oh, give me a hard question, why don't you. Is this concerning NERV?"

"Not quite, it concerns myself."

"And is it something you want to tell your not-boyfriend?"

"...Yes, but I am not certain how it would affect him. He is sensitive."

"...Shinji's about to cook dinner, I'll be at your apartment in 20 minutes...you can come here for dinner tonight and talk to him in person."

"Is this the best course of action?"

"It's the lesser of two evils."

"I do not want to restrict your meal choices. I refrain from eating meat dishes."

"It won't be a problem, trust me. Turn your phone volume up and listen to the background noise."

"Yes ma'am."

Rei heard Misato shout across her apartment. "HEY SHINJI, You're about to have a very pretty dinner guest, cook something vegetarian!"

Rei listened closely and heard Shinji come to a realization. "Dinner guest? Vegetarian? Waitaminute...AAAAAAhhh *CRASH* ."

"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, what just happened?"

"Shinji realized that you would be the one coming over, and he tripped all over himself dropping our pots and pans everywhere!"

"Does he need medical attention?"

"No, Rei. You see, when a boy is really attracted to a certain girl, the mere mention of that girl's name is enough to turn him into a disaster-prone idiot! It's basically a superpower us girls have that remind the men of the world that we're the ones in charge!" Misato dissolved into laughter and finished the call.

"All right, that's enough fun for now. I'm leaving to pick you up, Rei."

* * *

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: "The loss of Unit-04 was unexpected, but not, as you already suspect, sabotage."

"It still gives me concern for the validity of Unit-03, Mr. Representative."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: "You should concern yourself with the Identification of the Fourth Child."

"He has already been Identified. He is a 10th Grade athlete in 2-A. The current Children are all aware of his presence, but not his Identity."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: "His qualifications?"

"He has recently lost his mother to illness, but the death is recent enough that she can be Transferred into Unit-03's core. He has a personal interest in this war: his young sister was injured when the Fourth Angel attacked."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: "Then he will be willing to fight when he is brought before you, Ikari?"

"Indeed, his thirst for vengeance will either give him strength or lead to his defeat. This was proven in his dealings with the Third Child. There will be no middle ground for him."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: "Pack mule is en-route to Matsushiro Air Base as we speak. Can the new core be developed in time for it's arrival?"

"It is already being constructed."

* * *

"Shinji, once again, you've outdone yourself!" Misato exclaimed over her third beer.

He prepared a simple vegetarian meal, two rolls of fresh handmade vegetable sushi per person and a helping of his delicious miso soup, paired with hot tea for the Children, while Misato drank her usual Yebisu.

"Yes, Shinji, I have described your cooking as 'Delicious' in the past, I believe it is appropriate to do so again."

"...It's edible, Idiot. Why'd she have to be dragged over here, again?"

"Because Rei has something that she considers important to discuss with Shinji, and it's best to handle matters like that in person."

"Yeah, 'in person', Misato. You know that mean's they're just gonna make out, probably worse!"

Misato looked over to Rei and Shinji and sighed. "I'm sorry about her, but she has a point. Shinji, Rei, do I need to discuss anything with either of you?"

"You need not be concerned, Misato, this will not be a 'romantic' discussion, nor will it be what Pilot Soryu describes as 'probably worse'."

Asuka proceeded to burst into laughter. "If it's not, then Shinji must be getting dumped tonight! I don't believe it! Even a doll would rather have a real man than you, Shinji!"

Misato glared coldly at Asuka while Rei took Shinji's hand and led him to his room. She instructed him to kneel down as he cut in. "Rei, we aren't going to start sparring, are we?"

"Is that an attempt at 'humor', Pilot Ikari?"

"...It wasn't a very good one, was it?"

"No, we are not. Shinji, what security clearance level do you have?"

"Uhhh...Secret only. They wouldn't give me Top-Secret clearance."

"What I am about to tell you is beyond Top-Secret confidentiality. I am delivering this report to you in person because I believe you have the character to do what is right with this information."

Misato had ordered Asuka to do everyone's dishes as punishment for her unkind words to Shinji and now found herself eavesdropping through Shinji's door. = Of course she isn't dumping him...he said 'Top-Secret...shit where is it? = She ran to her bedroom, retrieved a directional microphone and headset and plugged them into her bedroom computer. She tuned the microphone until she was able to comfortably understand the two Pilots.

= I'm so sorry Shinji, Rei, I'm betraying your trust, but, whatever it is, it's too important to ignore. =

"Shinji, when did we separate, yesterday?"

"As Ritsuko took you to the hospital, she said your anemia could worsen."

"I am not anemic."

"...What?!"

"That is a cover. I am being taken down into NERV's sublevels to be immersed in LCL."

"Okay, we get immersed in LCL whenever we get plugged."

"Shinji, do you know the purpose of LCL?"

"Yeah, when it gets electrified, it turns into a kind of oxygen-rich gas that we breathe."

"Do you know the other purpose?"

"Uhhh...no..."

"LCL, when electrified, is capable of transmitting human thought and memory as network data."

"I thought that's what our headsets were for."

"The A-10 interface is the connection, but the electrified LCL is the infrastructure that our thoughts travel through."

"Okay, that's how we mentally control the Eva Units."

"It is also how my thoughts, memories...and...emotions...are recorded."

"Recorded?"

"Yes, I am ordered to regularly report to the LCL facility to have my thoughts turned into biologic data to be uploaded into the dummy plug system."

Misato was recording this breakthrough. = Keep going, Rei! Keep Going! This is just the Truth that Kaji and I need to bring some justice for you kids! =

"Dummy plug?"

"NERV's program to create autopilots for the Evas."

"Autopilot? That kind of sounds like a good idea..."

"Shinji, I fear it..."

Shinji's world was just totally rocked off its foundation = I...didn't think Rei could be afraid of anything! This must be bad. Really Bad! =

"Rei, what do you mean?"

"Every time I am sent to the facility, I leave feeling...sick. I feel like I have consumed significant volumes of alcohol, or have injected opiates into my body, or, most recently, I have suffered amnesia and memory loss for my time in the chamber. The memory transfer sessions are becoming more involved and possibly...more violent. I do not understand the purpose of the experiments, but I fear that the outcome will not be a positive one for the pilots or the fight against the Angels."

"Rei, what do you want me to do?"

"You entered this conversation with positive opinions about an autopilot. Change that opinion. I refuse to trust it, and I hope you will do the same."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I do not know who to trust with this knowledge. Shinji, you may be right about Commander Ikari. The dummy plugs are his projects, and I no longer believe he has my best interest at heart. I wish that you could have had your father, Shinji, but I feel that I can no longer trust him, either."

"I do have a father, Rei. His name's Ryouji Kaji, and I know without a doubt that he has my best interest, Misato's best interest, Asuka's best interest...and yours as well. I won't take this story to him, yet, but I do think that he's the person to trust here."

"Why do you trust him so greatly, Shinji?"

"Because he's done so much to try and Rebuild things with Mistato, and he's done so much to help me. He helped me start acting braver, he helped me stop wanting to just please my dad and nothing else, and he helped me start talking to you." He blushed at that last comment.

"Very well, Shinji, not now, but later. For tonight, do we agree that this conversation did not happen?"

"What conversation?"

Misato cut her feed and called Kaji over her secure line.

"Okay, here's the deal. Meet me under the streetlight next to that bar that serves the awful beer. You know when. Make sure you have some kind of cover. Sniper cover would be preferable. Listen to me Kaji: I've found the human donor."

She got up and knocked on Shinji's door. "You two finished? Can I come in?"

Shinji quickly put on a straight face. "Uhh, sure, Misato."

She came in the room to see the two kneeling face-to-face, so she got down on her knees with them, and made up her cover story. "Rei, I know Asuka was bitter and unkind earlier, but I have to ask: Was this a breakup?"

"No, Misato. It was a delay." Rei played along with her question.

"A delay?"

"I understand that Shinji would like to have me as a...girlfriend, but I am not fully aware of my own feelings yet. I did not 'dump him' as Pilot Soryu guessed, I simply told him that I needed time to understand what my own feelings are."

"Shinji, were you okay with that?" Misato laid the story on even thicker.

"Well, yeah, I care enough about Rei to give her all the time she needs."

"Shinji, that's a wonderful thing to say. Rei, tie him up before some other girl does, this boy here is a trophy! Now, I need you two to do me a favor. I've got some paperwork to deliver to Ritsuko, so I can't take you home just yet, Rei. Asuka's already gone to bed because that's how lazy she is; I need you to just hang out with Shinji for a while and don't do anything that I would, okay?"

"MISATO!" Shinji was appropriately red faced.

= Well, Shinji certainly understands his own feelings. = Misato giggled to herself.

She left the apartment, slashed the tires for the dozing Section-2 agents' car, and made her way to that one place.

* * *

Misato returned to the apartment around 0300 that morning. She maneuvered in the dark until she saw the glow of her muted television on some blue, then brown hair. Shinji and Rei had fallen asleep on her couch, and Shinji managed to get his arms wrapped around her waist. = Ohhh, she's cuddling up against him! It looks like Shinji gave Rei all the time she needed after all. =

She crouched down to just above their head level and whispered. "You both have very good poker faces. I don't know if you bought my cover or not, but I want you to know that I love you both enough that Kaji and I are going to do whatever it takes to protect you."

* * *

A/N: (Dodges thrown shoes) I know, I know, get to the Eva fights, already!


	20. Chapter 19: Terror

A/N: reuploaded it after finding some errors  
Answers:  
ANON: Some punctuation would really help people understand your comment. Having said that, you're right. Commander Ikari has no idea that it's Rei doing the rebelling.  
Kaiser: Define 'going well'...  
Fanus: Okay, that makes sense, but I do like hearing your opinions rather than summaries (Everybody can summarize a chapter. Opinions are unique and insightful)

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 19: Terror

* * *

"Mr. Ikari, do you know where Miss Ayanami has been?" The old schoolteacher asked at the end of the day.

"Uhh, yessir. She's been having to go to regular checkups lately." He lied, not daring to risk Rei's trust in him. "I don't know what she's going in for, but she's not skipping school."

"Very well, these notes need to go to her address. Everyone wish her a get well soon and have a good evening." He turned the class over to Hikari who handled the afternoon's duties.

"Rise, Bow, Class is Dismissed. All right, Touji, I promised you would have next cleanup, and you've got it. You can handle today's delivery as well."

"Seriously?! Hikari, why have you been picking on me lately?"

"Because you have the attention span and obliviousness of a newt. Get going!"

"I can't just show up at a girl's place, especially if I barely even know her! Shinji, will you go with me?"

"Yeah, sure, if it'll calm you down." = I hope she's home safe. I hate my father and Ritsuko just for thinking about that LCL chamber. =

"Thank you, Shinji, you're a great friend." Hikari complemented him as she left.

* * *

"'Attention span of a newt'?! Since when has she been so snotty?!" Touji asked as they walked through the building projects towards Rei's building.

"Maybe it's because she wants you to notice her." Shinji considered. Hikari and Touji were obvious to everyone except themselves.

"Look, if that's what it's about, I could ask her out whenever I want. I just know we'd have a shitty first date, and worse second one!"

"You know, I thought the same thing about Rei."

"Except that you told me yourself, Ayanami doesn't do 'dates' or stuff like that."

"Exactly. We just spend time together doing the normal stuff we need to work on."

"That doesn't work for me. Hikari doesn't like sports and I would pull my hair out if we just did homework together."

"Do you know you're sounding more hopeless than I am?"

* * *

Misato was standing over Ritsuko in her office.

"Unit-03 just landed in Matsushiro. What's the status on the Fourth?"

"I just got the report from Marduk."

"Then why haven't I seen it?"

"Here, read it now, if it'll make you shut up!"

Misato looked at the folder and gasped. "HIM?!"

"As it turns out, he matches the newest core and is already known to have a good relationship with our active pilots."

"Sure, that doesn't discount the fact that he just happens to go to the same school as the current three. How convenient that must be."

"That was on purpose. The Marduk institute has all potential pilots transferred to the same high school class in order to provide security and quick access."

"I don't like that reason, but it makes sense. I'm not worried about Rei's reaction, but don't tell Asuka or Shinji. Asuka will probably goad him into killing himself, while Shinji would have a breakdown at another of his friends being put in danger."

"Yes, I agree. It pains me to see the psychological weaknesses of our pilots preventing them from melding into a real team." = We won't have that problem, soon. =

"If I have to blatantly order them to accept Touji when the time comes, I'll do it." = If only to try to keep you from defiling Rei's mind any more. =

* * *

"Why would Ayanami want to live in a place like this?"

"I've asked her that before. NERV lets her live alone, but this is the only place they'll give her." That answer only made him hate what NERV had put her through even more.

They went up to the fourth floor, Shinji started opening the still-broken door. = How much work does it take for my father to order a repair crew out here. Does he even care about her at all, anymore? =

"Yo, Shinji, you don't just barge into a girl's apartment without any notice!"

"It's okay Touji, I have permission and I kind of know where she is right now." = We should be sparring in afternoon training, right now. But building those disgusting dummy plugs is more important to my dad. Bastard =

"I still don't like it. Man, it looks a little better from the inside, but the place is falling apart!"

"It was in even worse shape when I first met her. There's not much she's been able to fix, so she just puts up with it." = At least she's been keeping it clean. Maybe my explanation motivated her..."

They deposited the papers and turned to leave as Rei walked into the room.

"Shinj-...Pilot Ikari, Suzuhara," She lapsed back into her formal, impersonal language. "How long-"

"It's okay, Ayanami. We've just been a couple of minutes. We needed to drop off your class notes. Shinji's told us you've been at the doctor's office a lot lately, everybody in class hopes you get better soon."

"...Shinji, how much did you tell them?"

"Just that you had to be at your checkups, Rei, you know I don't know why they make you go so often." He winked at her while Touji wasn't looking.

= Then he has not revealed anything true about me...this is good news. = "Yes, thank you, Shinji. Thank you for bringing my lessons, Suzuhara."

"Hey, just Touji, okay? If you're close to Shinji then you're my friend too..." The two boys left, Shinji smiling towards her as they walked out.

= I thanked...Touji. Before now, he was a stranger. More and more I dislike rendering false stories to the individuals I approach. =

* * *

"Miss Katsuragi!" Ryouji bowed to her as Misato entered the break room, "Allow me to express my gratitude to you for your efforts. You should be happy to know that the UN Human Rights Commission will be reviewing your report very soon."

"Well, it's time for payback, Kaji. What's the deal with the Marduk Institute?"

"Three words: Wet. Toilet. Paper. They don't even actually exist. NERV has been hand-picking the pilots the entire time."

"Then how do they match the pilots to the Eva Unit?"

"I don't know yet, but I do know that it doesn't just have to be NERV doing it. While I was in England, I was the bodyguard for the Unit-05 pilot. I protected her before I was assigned to Asuka. She doesn't even report to NERV, she works directly for the UN. I'll be introducing you to her soon."

"...Unit-05 was destroyed-"

"In order to cause a blackout at Bethany Base, it was external sabotage. And the motivation for it is what I'm investigating. You never heard of any of this, but I have a feeling the sabotage order came from the Commander."

"There's three sides, now Kaji. NERV, the Commander, and Ritsuko; the Pilots; and you, me, and apparently your English frien-"

"When we're able to reveal ourselves to the Pilots, there'll be two sides, and the side with the Pilots will be the winners."

"Tell me this, Kaji, what's your motivation? You could just a easily be turning all this information to the Commander for a hefty reward."

"If I were motivated by money, I'd have been a rich man a long time ago. I'm in this now for my selfish desire to know everybody else's secrets."

"...If you're able to save these kids from whatever NERV is planning for them, I may just tell you a few of mine in the future."

"I look forward to it, Beautiful."

* * *

"Rise, bow, break for lunch!"

The kids in 2-A all broke into their respective groups. Asuka and Hikari sat down together, Shinji tried a meal that Rei had prepared in her small kitchen, and she was better than Misato was, at this point. Touji and Kensuke left for the cafeteria as Touji was called into the principal's office, where he met a tall, blonde woman wearing a lab coat.

"Touji Suzuhara. 10Th grade basketball player, right?"

"Uhh, yeah...Do I know you, or something?"

"Not quite, I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, head of research and development at NERV. I've been reading up on you and you happen to be our best fit for our newest Unit."

* * *

School was dismissed as Touji stayed behind and started wolfing down junk food he bought as lunch ended.

"Touji! You should have been cleaning the class, not wasting time!"

"Look, class rep, I don't eat often. I missed my meal today, and I'm trying not to keel over."

"Don't you eat at home?"

"No, my sister's still in physical therapy and my dad works two shifts now. We never see each other. Nobody cooks, so I just take advantage of the school cafeteria."

"Oh. Touji, I'm sorry, you're always so cool and confident I never knew you had any difficulty with anything..."

"It's alright, I'll get to work soon."

"...Let me help, if only to apologize..."

"Uhh...Thanks Hikari..." = Maybe it's because she wants you to notice her. = "Listen, have you been talking to Asuka, recently."

"She saw you talking to Rei outside..."

"That's because she and Asuka already know, I haven't had the chance to talk to Shinji about it..."

"What?"

Touji closed the door to the room.

"We've got absolutely nothing in common, but I do really like you, and that's why I'm telling you this. Maybe because you're so good at being a leader or whatever. Can you keep secrets?...I mean real ones."

"I don't know, how 'real'?"

"I'm going to be working with Shinji, Rei, and Asuka."

"What do you mean 'working'?"

"NERV's Unit-03 is here, and somehow I've been picked to pilot it. I've never done anything military-like in my life, and now I'm going to be fighting alongside Shinji...I punched him when he first moved here because I blamed him for Sakura getting hurt...he made me look like an idiot for it, and now..."

"You have a chance to make it up to him."

"I only agreed to do it if they gave Sakura personal care and rehab...I'm still scared shitless because of it...Shinji hates piloting it, Askua's a complete psycho- even if you two get along -and Rei's always in bandages or casts because of it...I don't know how they do it. Don't tell anybody I told you this stuff, it's classified..." He tried to keep a straight face and broke down laughing at the absurd turn of events. "I've never thought I'd tell anybody that 'it's classified'."

"If it's that important, why are you telling me?"

"Because I needed to get it off my chest and Shinji already left; he and Rei are probably off staring at each other somewhere..."

"Maybe that's what helps them handle it. Nobody understands what they go through except them...You will, soon. Would you have been allowed to say no?"

"They let me set a bunch of terms for them and stuff before I agreed..."

"Then you still said that you'd do it. That's really brave of you, whatever happens. Just think about it, you're helping to protect the entire world! I'm really proud of you, for what it's worth-"

Hikari felt herself get squeezed in the boy's strong hug. "It's worth a lot, it really is..."

She hesitated for a minute, the realized her arms were around him as well.

"I have to leave tomorrow to start testing in it. I don't do much, just learn how to turn it on and walk around..."

* * *

"Oh my! Kaji is guarding us tonight!" Asuka jumped into his arms as he walked into Misato's apartment.

"Asuka, you make yourself look immature whenever you do something like this. I know that you have more self-respect than to try to seduce a man twice your age."

"What is wrong with you, Kaji? What do you see in an old bag like Misato?"

"Someone who understands adult economics and adult worries."

"I understand all of that! I'm a college graduate!"

"And Miss Ayanami is essentially a high-school graduate, but she has far more maturity than you act like you have. You all still go to high school classes because you can be protected ther-"

"How the hell do you know what Wondergirl does?!"

"I have access to pilot records. She is almost as well-educated as you are. Technically, Shinji is the only one in the proper grade, but he already makes better decisions than you do."

"Kaji, why are you treating me like this?" She pouted to him.

"Because if you want to act like an adult, you're going to be spoken to as an adult. You never listened to me when I was trying to raise you in your parent's absence, and now Misato gets to essentially have a vacation from putting up with you. Now, it's late, you can have first choice on the washroom, I need to speak with Shinji."

"Fine." She huffed and stormed into the bathroom.

"I wish I could change her past, but it seems I can't even change her present...Shinji!" He called into the boys' room.

"Yeah, Kaji, what do you need?"

"Just a moment to discuss a few things...That means you'll have to turn off the music for a few minutes."

"Okay, fine." He walked into the living room.

"I know you won't like either of us, but we're on your side."

"Who? You and Misato?"

"Exactly." He laughed a bit and continued. "I'm honored that you consider me a father figure."

"...When did I say that?"

"A few nights ago, when Miss Ayanami was here with you."

"...How the hell do you know about that, Kaji." Shinji was suddenly very angry.

"Misato heard everything, and we're working on a plan to stop the experiments and help Rei, but we need you to make it work."

"How did Misato find out?"

"With her ears, Shinji, it's not that difficult, you know."

"You two betrayed Rei's trust!"

"And we're going to use that betrayal to bring down the dummy system. Rei won't be a walking lab report anymore. She'll get to spend all her time with you; maybe she can learn to be an actual teenage girl for once."

"How?"

"You'll know when the plan in implemented."

"You two still betrayed her. You expect me to trust you now?"

"We didn't want to tell you earlier, but it looks like we've got no choice. Misato wouldn't say anything because she thought you'd panic: Touji is the Fourth Child. Unit-03's pilot."

"...What?! He can't be! He has no ties to NERV whatsoever! He shouldn't be put in this madhouse no matter how much NERV 'needs him'!"

"You're absolutely right. That's why we're doing all of this." He handed him a miniature portable radio. "Carry that wherever you go. It uses an entirely different spectrum than what NERV operates. When the time comes, you'll get a message from me. Rei will be on board after a while, I promise you. Asuka still needs time to see what's going on."

"If I help you, what do I do?"

"What you do best. Tomorrow you'll be on full alert while Unit-03 is tested. Kick ass in your Eva Unit."

* * *

Misato and Ritsuko were in the bunker at Matsushiro Air Base. A temporary Eva storage frame had been erected outside and Touji had been flown in on a NERV VTOL.

"All right, Candidate Suzuhara, the startup walkthrough should appear before you. Is your headset secure?"

He adjusted the antennae worn over his forehead. "Yeah, I guess they are...Is this manual like a hologram or something?"

"Very good, it is. Read the instructions then radio in to have us begin the activation from our end."

"Okay..." = Read, Touji...Facilitate A-10 connection, I guess that means the headset...Twin joysticks and triggers, right in front of me...view screens, all around me...call for external startup... = "Okay, it's Suzuhara. I've read the instructions, I'm 'calling for external startup'!"

Ritsuko's voice called over the radio to the facility. "All personnel! Unit-03 Activation! Repeat, Unit-03 Activation! Begin A-10 Neural Network Connection! Detach Restraining Bolts! Attach External Power Supply!"

Touji felt like he grew 50 feet tall as he sensed the Eva's body through the headset. The massive scaffolding frame dismantled itself, and the Eva Unit was plugged into the power cable...until it automatically ejected it.

"Why didn't it take the power supply?!"

"Ma'am, the Unit is rejecting the Pilot's neural interface as well as external commands! It's going beserk somehow!"

Unit 03's blue and gray armor became covered in a spiderweb-like fungus. The now-independent beast roared and generated a massive AT-field in a sphere around it.

"Lieutenant Colonel, the AT-Field is absorbing some kind of energy...Oh my God it's-"

The field expanded in a massive explosive shockwave, the energy the Unit absorbed ripping the vicinity to shreds. Unit-03 began an ungainly walk from the remains of Matsushiro Air Base to Tokyo-3 and the GeoFront.

* * *

"What do you mean 'it exploded'?! Bring Unit 00 and Unit-01 online. Retrieve the Second Child and bring her to standby. Load dummy plugs into all combat-ready Evangelions!" Commander Ikari was watching the events unfold from NERV's command bridge. Katsuragi and Akagi were casualties in that explosion; he lost his two best advisors in the same moment.

Maya spoke up during the Commander's order. "Commander, the dummy plugs aren't ready for combat! The MAGI haven't been able to render any combat predictions!"

"It doesn't matter. With this threat, there can be no risks taken, and that includes the mortality of our pilots."

"...Yes sir." Maya knew for a fact that this was going to end poorly. Call it a woman's intuition.

"Commander, Unit-03 appears to be generating some form of fungal matter. It has integrated itself with the Eva's nervous system."

"General Order: From this moment, the Evangelion designated Unit-03 will be referred to as the 'Twelfth Angel'!"

* * *

Shinji and Rei were sitting at separate points on the expected path for the 'Angel'. Unit-02 was still in headquarters waiting for clearance from Germany to launch, if the German government would get around to allowing it. = Damn those European Bastards! = Asuka thought as she sat in the tube, not allowed to go anywhere.

Hyuga made the final report. "Unit-00 will have first visual contact. Unit-01 will be moved to its position to provide assistance. First Lieutenant Ayanami will report when contact has been made."

Rei waited in Unit-00 looking out for the figure on the horizon. Shinji waited severl kilometers closer to NERV HQ, waiting for his permission to move to Rei's position.

"Commander, I have a video feed of the Angel. I can confirm that it has the appearance of Unit-03." Rei's emotionless voice masked her newfound ability to feel fear.

Shinji spoke up, this time. "Can anybody see the entry plug?! What happened to the pilot!? What happened to Touji?!"

"The plug looks undamaged, First Lieutenant Ikari. Once it gets in range of our communications, we will eject it and the pilot can be rescued." Hyuga offered the only good news of the day.

"Rei," The Commander returned to giving instructions, "bring Unit-00's AT field to maximum and engage the target at range. Unit-01 will be arriving to provide combat support."

"Yes, Sir." She moved out from behind her rock outcropping and raised her rifle as the possessed Evangelion sprung from its walking path and jumped high towards Unit-00, falling and landing directly on top of it. Rei groaned at the controls as she felt 66 metric tons of the demonic beast crash down on her. It held its hand over Unit-00 and began to melt, droplets of the parasitic Angel beginning to infect Unit-00.

"Sever the left arm. We cannot allow Unit-00 to become contaminated by this...abomination."

"Sir, the pilot is still at the controls-"

"Do it."

Rei audibly screamed as her arm felt the sensation of being torn away from her shoulder. It took all of her normally unbreakable willpower to remain awake when her body wanted to black out to end the pain.

The Angel lost interest in Unit-00 and began to continue towards the city until it was intercepted by Unit-01, running at it's top land speed to reach Rei's compromised position. Shinji punched the Angel's body, only for the fist to deform and flex the elasticized body of Unit-03.

"What the hell just happened!? Maya! Send the Eject Signal to Unit-03. Get Touji out of here!" Shinji yelled as he got within viewing distance of the Angel.

"Firing the plug...now!" The entry plug's rocket engines fired and lifted into the web of fungus, only to be trapped like an insect inside the adhesive material. "It's still inside Unit-03! Plug rockets weren't strong enough to rip through the fungus!"

"Dammit...Dammit, what do I do!? I can't hurt Touji!"

The possessed Unit's arms turned into a liquid rubber and stretched out to grab Unit-01 around the neck. Shinji felt Unit-01 and him being snapped back to face the Angel up close. Shinji began to reflexively wrestle with it as it was hit with a punch from Unit-00's remaining arm. The Angel sprouted two new arms and grabbed Unit-01 around the neck

"No, Rei, you're in too much danger! Retreat now!"

"I will not abandon you, Shinji."

"You're not...abandoning me, you're protecting...yourself." Shinji said between gasps. " Now turn around and run!"

"...If you believe that I am so important as to remove myself from danger, I will do it."

"Yes, I do! Now go!"

Rei turned Unit-00 around and fled to her launch elevator. Shinji reverted to trying to break the four arms' choke hold on him, and felt himself beginning to lose oxygen from lack of LCL.

"Shinji," The Commander spoke to Unit-01 "focus less on the arms and get your knife into the Unit's core. It's the only way to stop it!"

"I...can't. Touji will be...killed.!"

"If you don't do it, you'll be the one dead."

"That's fine by me! I'm not letting...any body other than me...die today!"

The Commander scowled. "...The current pilot is too much of a risk. Activate the Unit-01 dummy system instead."

Shinji's controls shut down. He heard a grinding sound behind him as a column of mechanical equipment rolled over him and locked two arms and a new view screen over the original controls.

.seiceps ruoy fo srehto yb detanimod eb ot sa dniknamuh rof dab sa ton si em yb detanimod eb oT .edirp fo noitome eht si esol uoy llA .noisulli na si modeerF

Shinji couldn't understand the garbled language he thought he was hearing, but he could read the new view screen.

"...DMYSYS...? Is this what...they've been working on?...FATHER! Don't do this! It's not going to help anything!"

Maya spoke to the Commander. "Cross-sync confirmed, Sir."

"It seems to accept her, after all...send the order to begin the attack."

Unit-01 shot its hands around Unit-03's neck.

"NO! FATHER YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN!"

Unit-01 crushed Unit-03's neck in its hands.

"FATHER! STOP THIS NOW! THE UNIT-03 PILOT'S DONE NOTHING WRONG!"

Unit-01 threw Unit-03 to the ground.

"THIS HAS GONE ON ENOUGH! STOP!"

Unit-01 ripped Unit-03's armor away and begin ripping the Unit's body apart with its teeth.

"TOUJI DOESN'T NEED TO DIE, FATHER! STOP THIS!"

Unit-01 chewed and spat out Touji's entry plug.

"FATHER! NO! NO! STOP! NOOOOOOOOOO!

The dummy system shut down, Shinji noticed that Unit-01 still had power...


	21. Chapter 20: Civil Debate

Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there's little fun to be had in explanations; they're antithetical to the poetry of fear. In a horror story, the victim keeps asking "Why?" But there can be no explanation, and there shouldn't be one. The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest, and it's what we'll remember in the end. -Alan Wake, American Writer

* * *

Disclaimer: See prologue

Chapter 20: Civil Debate

* * *

"Listen, Shinji! You're just acting in frustration! You don't actually want to do this!" Aoba shouted to Unit-01's communications console.

"SHUT UP! You bastards didn't just cross the line with this latest stunt, it wasn't just wrong, it was completely absurd! When you did what you did to Touji, all of you became the villains here!"

"Shinji, Please!" Maya interrupted, "Touji, Ritsuko, and Misato are still alive! They're hurt, but none of them are dead! None of this has to happen!"

"You're absolutely right it doesn't!" Shinji growled over the radio as he stomped Unit-01's feet against NERV's Pyramid, smashing into the plate-glass windows and sending shards of window and metal flying to the evacuating NERV personnel. "It's about somebody making the Bastard accountable for the things he's done! This is bigger than just Touji, and he knows exactly what I'm talking about! I've locked the Unit to internal control and I've got 285 seconds of reserve power, I can level this entire base with that time!"

Commander Ikari moved to decisively end this rebellion. "Increase the LCL cabin pressure. We do not have time to deal with a child's tantrum."

Maya complied, and attempted to get the MAGI to break Unit-01's command encryption as the entire base blacked out...again.

* * *

Shinji was visiting gratuitous violence on the base when the radio he wore on a waist clip crackled to life with a bubbly girl's voice.

"Hey, puppy boy!"

"...I know that voice...You're the girl that parachuted into me!"

"Yeah! Fun, right? Ryouji asked me to do some meddling down in the power systems again! I hear you're making all kinda hell up topside, wish I could be having that much fun right now! He gave me a message for you: 'kick ass in your Eva Unit'! Now, I gotta go before somebody hears me, bye Shinji!"

= Kick ass in your Eva Unit. Thanks Kaji. = He began punching the barracks building behind the pyramid while the command bridge was still in dissarray.

* * *

"Commander, the MAGI have to reboot into single-user mode until the root account holder can run diagnostics. We can't perform any software attacks on Unit-01 until Ritsuko confirms the MAGI's data integrity."

"Have a terminal setup in her hospital room. She isn't so injured that she can't get some typing done. Is Unit-02 still on launch rails?"

"Yes sir...you aren't suggesting-"

"Yes I am." He opened a video channel to Asuka. "Launch Unit-02! Overpower Unit-01!"

"Unit-01? What's happening up there?"

"You'll see when you arrive. Now, prepare for catapult fire."

Asuka shot up to the GeoFront's ground level where she found Shinji, Unit-01, and several hundred billion Yen in damage to NERV's surface facilities. Her face twisted into shock and rage at the sight of Shinji destroying...everything.

"SHINJI! YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!

"Whatever is necessary, my friend."

"Captain Soryu, restrain Unit-01 but do not destroy it. No Firearms. We need Unit-01 combat capable."

"Yes, Commander." She sprinted towards Unit-01, fist raised, screaming her trademark high-pitched battle cry.

Shinji's perception of time slowed once again. = She's got no self control; she's just running wildly at me with a raised fist...her high center of gravity leaves me to force her around backwards and down... =

Asuka manipulated Unit-02 into throwing a rageful punch, only to find Unit-02's wrist bound by Unit-01's hand, with an arm shoving Unit-02's chest and her legs caught around Unit-01's own. Asuka felt Unit-02 spiraling into the ground, landing humiliated and enraged at Unit-01 in front of her.

"Asuka, stop! Touji tried that exact same attack on me back in school, and it didn't work there either. I don't want to fight you, this is between me and my 'Father'." He sneered at that last word.

"Damn...DAMN YOU!" Asuka fired the rocket launchers on Unit-02's shoulders as Shinji forced his Unit out of the way. The missiles flew up to the ceiling of the upper city, blowing out one of the emergency exit hatches and revealing the light of the bright, sunlit day.

"Asuka, you missed." Shinji smirked before a beam of energy shot through the open panel and blinded both Shinji and Asuka. Shinji groaned in pain as he felt what he thought was a migraine shooting through his head, and Asuka screamed when she felt a knife stabbing between her eyes.

* * *

HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!  
FOR THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH.

* * *

"Commander! The US Air Force just initiated a data link from the Northern Marianas Islands. It's from somebody with the callsign 'Sky Eye'! They say that they have images from a U-2 showing some kind of 'Light Bird' that's thousands of feet across! The spy plane is currently circling it at Flight Level 1200...that's One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Feet!" Hyuga relayed the sudden news.

"Get permission to use the plane as a repeater for the MAGI's long-range scan. If the Americans are correct in assuming that this being is another Angel, it is attacking us from 2400 Kilometers away. What are the statuses for the Evangelions."

"Sir," Aoba reported from the medical sensors, "heart rates and respiration rates for both pilots are unchanged, but EEG reports show seizure-like neurological reactions to the energy; we can't identify what it is they're being hit with, but it's...I don't know, stabbing their minds, somehow...?"

"Attach a prosthetic arm to Unit-00 and prep the Positron Cannon. Blackout Tokyo-3 so Rei can make the shot."

"Yes sir! We're ordering the techs to start work on Unit-00 now, it shouldn't take them more than 20 minutes. The cannon can be prepped in that time as well."

* * *

THE KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD IS BECOME THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD,  
AND OF HIS CHRIST, AND OF HIS CHRIST;

* * *

"GOD! GOD NO! DON'T MAKE ME REMEMBER THOSE THINGS! I WANTED TO PUT ALL THAT BEHIND ME! I DON'T NEED MOTHER OR FATHER! I CAN SURVIVE ON MY OWN!"

Asuka saw herself, a seven year-old girl, stomping on a stuffed animal.

= "Asuka, look at your new mother."

"NO! I don't wanna! She isn't my real mother."

"Yes, but sometimes grown-ups have to split apart and try again when a marriage doesn't work. I met your stepmother and I want to try again, but you have to behave for her."

"I love my real mommy, I only want my real mommy!" =

"NO! NO MORE! NO MORE!"

"No!...Asuka don't...listen to it!" Shinji called out to her over the radio, even as he felt the pounding as his own head. His mind was assaulted with images of his father. Commander Ikari, leaving Shinji with his Sensei, who took the abondoned boy in at 3 years old. Commander Ikari, seeing him once a year at his mother's grave, ignoring him every other day of the year. Commander Ikari, bringing him to NERV HQ and coldly staring at Shinji as Rei Ayanami collapsed off her hospital bed when Shinji refused to pilot Unit-01. Commander Ikari, visibly caring for Rei as he neglected and ignored his own son, Shinji Ikari.

"Heh...heh...hahaha...DAMN YOU!...Broadcast A-10 data to MAGI...Maya! Generate a visual feed from my headset!" Shinji broke into disgusted laughter as he crouched Unit-01 down on one knee, balancing on a fist planted into the dirt as support, bringing his own thoughts onto NERV's bridge viewscreens.

"I don't know who you are...I don't know what you are, but you're going to have to do better than that! I'm not angry at my father for any of that! I don't hold a grudge anymore! I've let all of my anger go! I attacked NERV because Touji was Innocent! It had nothing to do with me!"

"Listen to me, Asuka! Don't think about the images that Angel is bringing up! It'll only cause more pain. If it's bringing back hurtful memories, you have to accept them or let them go! It'll only hurt you worse if you try to fight it!"

"Commander, the MAGI's long-range scan confirms. It's an Angel. The Thirteenth is here, already."

"What's the status on Unit-00?"

"An artificial arm is being installed, the Positron Cannon is being mounted atop buildings in the Tokyo-3 business district."

"Statuses for the pilots."

"Pilot Soryu is panicking, risk of a possible seizure or a psychotic episode. Pilot Ikari is showing signs of a migraine, but is otherwise resisting the Angel's psionic attacks."

* * *

AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER,  
FOR EVER AND EVER, FOREVER AND EVER,

* * *

"NO! KAJI DON'T LEAVE ME! I'M OLD ENOUGH FOR YOU! YOU DON'T NEED MISATO! I NEED YOU KAJI!"

Asuka's eyes were glazed as she saw images of Ryouji Kaji and Misato Katsuragi rekindling their once-lost relationship. Misato and Kaji flirting over drinks. Kaji nudging Misato in the side in the NERV break rooms. Misato kissing Kaji under a streeghtlight. Kaji and Misato in bed toghether, years from this moment...She felt...negative emotion.  
HATE  
JEALOUSY  
ABANDONMENT  
LOSS

"ASUKA! STOP! IT ISN'T REAL!" Shinji shouted across the radio as he desperately tried to get Asuka to break from the Angel's attack on her. Images of Touji panicking and writhing in pain inside Unit-03 filled his head. Touji holding Hikari as he told her he feared the Eva Units. Touji pushing away his reservations and reluctance as he prepared to test Unit-03. Touji clutching his head in pain as the Twelfth Angel overwhelmed his nervous system and senses, collapsing and rendered comatose as Unit-01 destroyed the entry plug.

"Look you bastard," Shinji growled towards the sky again. "there's nothing you can show me that'll get me to panic or freak out! I'm not giving you the satisfaction! Touji is undergoing the best medical care in the world right now, so is Misato and Ritsuko! I don't fear for any of them because I know that they're in good hands. All I have to do is stay right here, in between you and them!"

"Commander Ikari, I am controlling the prosthetic arm well. I will make my way to the cannon's position." Rei's voice sounded across the radio.

"Very good, Rei. We cannot allow for human error in these conditions, so targeting will be performed exclusively by the MAGI."

"Yes sir." She launched to the surface of the upper city and ran her Unit to the cannon's mounted position. "Commander Ikari, is the weapon charged?"

"Yes, it should have power to operate. Begin feeding targeting data to the MAGI."

Rei watched as the MAGI zoomed her particle weapon on the target in the sky, the image of the bird-shaped wings of light becoming clearer every instant.

"Commander Ikari, may I have permission to fire?"

"Yes, Rei, whenever the MAGI see fit."

Unit-00 fired the massive rifle, its beam of antimatter striking the Angel's AT Field at 99.992% the speed of light.

* * *

HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!

* * *

"Commander! The Angel is too far out of range for the positron stream! It failed to break through the AT Field!"

"...Rei. Travel to Dogma and retrieve the Lance."

"Commander," Fuyutsuki spoke up from his position behind Ikari. "We shouldn't use the Lance yet. It's our only trump card against SEELE."

"If we don't, we will lose both Unit-01 and Unit-02. Rei, we don't have any choice."

"...Yes sir."

"Asuka, listen to me...you're going to make it through this. Just listen to me and not to it! You're strong enough to resist it! I know you are!"

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE HER!"

"You wimp! You coward! You loser! You brat! All you see is HER! All you can think about is HER! You won't even look at ME! What do you see in that doll!? She is nothing! She has nothing! She's a freak! A pale-skinned, emotionless robot freak! Kaji won't take me, you won't take me, all I have is MYSELF!"

"Dammit Asuka! I think about Rei because she's gentle! She's polite and respectful to everyone she approaches! She doesn't attack or belittle me! Now leave her out of this! Asuka, I want to fight this thing as much as you do, but you can't just shout and scream and expect it to go away!"

Asuka was screaming her hatred for Rei and Shinji in equal measure. Shinji was trying to console her as his head filled with images of Rei. Rei Ayanami, bloody bandages leaking after collapsing in the Eva Unit bays. Rei Ayanami, visibly alone amongst the other children, both at school and at NERV. Rei Ayanami, experiencing the same boiling LCL that broke Shinji's will to fight long ago. Rei Ayanami, held naked and upright in the LCL chamber deep in NERV's laboratories, delirious and amnesic after the latest attempt to mine her thoughts and memories from her individual mind, the location in every person that no other should have permission to enter.

"Damn you. Damn. You. DAMN YOU!" Shinji shouted to the heavens as he reacted, not with fear, as the old Shinji Ikari would have, but with pure, white-hot rage, fueled by his righteous sense of good and evil.

"You want to know who the coward is?!" He shouted to the sky. "You are! You attack us from thousands of kilometers away and you just expect me to curl up and give in?! That's not the Shinji Ikari that I am, ANYMORE! Why don't you come down here and introduce yourself? I know for a fact that I would love to meet you!" His voice was seething.

Maya reacted with awe. "Is this the same Shinji that moved in with Misato and then apologized for taking up a room? He's debating a god! And he's winning!"

* * *

Rei looked upon the Second Angel. Lillith's pale-skinned flesh, arms and hands with five fingers, and humanoid head made her look almost like a walking, talking human being...not walking, anyway. The lack of legs to stand on made that clear to the eyes. Speared through her chest was the Lance of Longinus. The superweapon. The weapon written in the Dead Sea Scrolls that can puncture any AT field, rend apart any armor, skewer any living being.

Rei started Unit-00's trudge through the Evangelion-waist deep LCL. She thought on herself as she continued walking towards the being.

= Is this my purpose? = Step by step she trudged. = Is this who I am? =

She reached the giant. She took the Lance's grip in Unit-00's hands and grunted with the weight of the weapon speared through Lillith's flesh. When the Lance tore loose the Second Angel's legs grew from her abdomen, Lillith taking the proper form of the progenitor of life on Earth.

"Commander, I have the Lance."

"Very good, Rei. Return to the surface."

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Asuka had degenerated to incoherent screaming in terror and pain at Unit-02's controls while Shinji fumed in silent anger. He had managed to combat this Angel's psychic attacks with his own stone-solid thoughts, but was now mourning Asuka's obvious defeat and breakdown.

= I can't do anything for her. I can't fight the Angel, I can't heal her psyche...I can't do anything here! =

He heard Rei's voice over the radio. "Commander Ikari, I have a clear throw."

"Then we should end this, Rei."

Unit-00, on the surface of Tokyo-3, stepped back, leaned its body into the throw, then charged forward and threw the Lance with all the strength that an Evangelion Unit can provide.

Hyuga followed the Lance on it's flight path to the Angel. "Commander, the Lance is accelerating on it's path towards the target. It appears to be seeking the Angel out to destroy it."

= Then it is performing its purpose flawlessly. = "Very good."

The Lance arced across the sky, puncturing the Angel's AT field, slicing through the body of light, and sailing through space towards the gravity of the Moon. The Angel swirled around itself before exploding in a ball of plasma and light. Shinji felt a the weight of the attack lift from his mind, Asuka broke down sobbing and shivering in the cold feeling of fear.

"Commander, the Lance is trapped in lunar gravity." Hyuga analyzed.

"Then we cannot retrieve it. Have the two Pilots sedated and placed under neurological care."

Shinji felt his entry plug auto-eject and he was met by Section 2 guards and an ambulance at his location on the GeoFront. He saw the same welcoming party at Unit-02's location.

"First Lieutenant Ikari, you are required to undergo sedation and a full psychological evaluation." A labcoated doctor ordered to him, while flanked by NERV's special security agents.

His face hardened, uninterested in the threating personnel around him. "Is Asuka safe?"

"She will receive equivalent treatment. She will be well cared-for."

"Fine, then. Knock me out, I don't even give a damn anymore."

* * *

A/N: I was actually really looking forwards to this chapter because I can cross examine Rebuild!Shinji's personality vs Series!Asuka. Asuka banishes away her past with hate and anger while Shinji comes to terms with the frightening and depressing images he's seeing.

Answers: (I moved down here so I could enhance the opening of this chapter)

ANON: He doesn't exactly target his father, here, but it'll happen.

Fanus: If it's your favorite moment, what do you think about this version?

Akuma: I pmmed you, thanks for the hard questions. They make me write better.


	22. Chapter 21: My Resignation

Answers:  
ANON: Rei's reaction is right here!  
Fanus: My entire idea behind this story was how little I really had to change to make Shinji a stronger person. He realizes how that Asuka is pretty blatantly abusive. He is able to fight his father. He stands up for Touji and Rei. By the way, that Text in the dummy plug chapter is a real sound effect from Rebuild 2.22 You have to read it backwards or paste it into a text-reverser website.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 21: My Resignation

* * *

"When can I visit Asuka or Touji?" Shinji asked the psychologist interviewing him, flanked by Section-2 security. One of the Agents answered.

"You are prohibited from contacting other personnel until this psychological evaluation is complete."

"And? I've already had a CAT scan and an MRI."

"Yes," the psychologist spoke up. "But you also need a live interview. Let's start with a Rorschach test. Tell me what you see." He held up a card.

"Looks like an ink stain."

"...Yes it is. Try thinking harder."

"...It's a deep and permanent ink stain."

"You need to cooperate with me."

"The petroleum-based ink has bonded itself to a translucent fibrous material consisting of bleached wood pulp."

"All right then, since we aren't getting anywhere...Word Associations. I'll say a word or name, you tell me a word or phrase that comes to mind."

"Sure."

"Evangelion"  
"Pain Magnet"

"NERV"  
"Assholes"

"Dr. Akagi"  
"Whore"

"Katsuragi"  
"Drunk"

"Professor"  
"Yes-man"

"Commander"  
"Bastard"  
"..."

"Captain Soryu"  
"Bitch"  
The psychologist chuckled.

"Suzuhara"  
Shinji's glare burned at him. "Innocent. Victim. Martyr."  
"..."

"Ayanami"  
"Uhh..."  
"Ayanami?"

Shinji blushed "...perfect..."

"As affectionate as that answer is, your other ones don't really do you any favors in my report. I have to determine whether or not you are sane and competent, and you aren't helping me."

"And who determines whether Touji got to live or die? Who checks and balances the callous decisions made by the detached and out of touch NERV officials? Touji was shanghaied into piloting, same as I was! Go ahead, write me up as a psychopath. See if I care."

The psychologist wrote a few statements. "First Lieutenant Ikari, you are clearly mentally competent, if somehwat blinded by cynicism-"

"Watching your best friend get dismembered can do that to you."

"Yes, that's actually the point that I was about to make. No rational person would have reacted positively to what you saw happening before you, even if your specific reaction was an overreaction."

"That's a candidate for understatement of the decade."

"...Moving on, the electromagnetic scans show no psionic contamination. Your resistance to the Angel's psychic attacks was impressive."

"And Asuka?"

"There is no risk of mental possession, but she was left broken and incoherent. I'll grant you a one-time visit if you don't think you'll be frightened by what you see."

"Everything I see frightens me, Doc."

"I'm honestly not certain if that's simple sarcasm or survivor's guilt." He turned to the Section-2 Agents. "He's not a danger to anybody here, just make sure that his Evangelion Unit stays grounded. Let him go visit the other two."

"Affirmative, Doctor."

* * *

"Listen! His name's Touji Suzuhara and he pilots Evangelion Unit-03; he's somewhere underground in the NERV hospital! Let me in to see him!"

"Are you next of kin."

"No, but-"

"Then you cannot be allowed inside." The gate guard for NERV's ground-level entrance prevented Hikari Horaki from visiting the Fourth Child, critically injured during the testing phase for Evangelion Unit-03. She turned away and started hurrying home, tears welling in her eyes.

"Representative Horaki?" She failed to notice a quiet head of blue hair appearing behind her.

"Rei? Uhh...I know I don't have permission to be here, but it's been six days since I've seen Touji and I heard that he got hurt in his Eva training and I'm really worried for him and I just want to see him to make sure that he's safe." She panted after breathing out the long sentence.

"Come with me."

Rei ran her ID card through the gate and approached the guard. "First Lieutenant Ayanami. Command-level Authentication. Representative Horaki is my guest for the afternoon. You will allow her to accompany me."

The guard read the authentication and complied, and Rei motioned for Hikari to follow her.

"Thank you...I don't really know what to say, Rei..."

"We have never had a conversation, before." Rei stated as she walked, headed to the hospital wing.

"No...We haven't. I just always thought that you weren't interested in talking to anybody."

"...I have wanted to become closer to others. I have never known how to do so."

"Rei, you don't really mean that, do you?"

"Yes. The social conventions that you abide by were withheld from me. Pilot Ikar-...Shinji has become the primary conduit for my attempts at enjoyable conversation."

"You expect me to believe that you've only ever made friends with Shinji."

"I am not allowed to form bonds with others. It is an order I am expected to follow. The time I spend with Shinji is in defiance of my orders. I cannot get away with further disobedience."

"Why do you allow yourself to be isolated like that?"

"Because it has never caused me harm, and I would be disciplined severely if my relationships weakened my ability to pilot."

"That doesn't seem to stop Asuka."

"Pilot Soryu is not bound by NERV-Japan's regulations. I am. Shinji is as well, but when he disobeys, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi defends him."

"And she wouldn't stick up for you?"

"She would, but I am only in contact with her for short periods of time. Shinji is under her protection constantly."

"...I think you deserve better than all that, Rei. If I wanted to be your friend-"

"NERV's security would put a stop to it."

"You're helping me now..."

"Pilot Suzuhara's injuries are a defense for my actions. If you were not concerned for his safety, I could not have approached you."

They continued the walk in silence.

* * *

He looked through the divider window panes in the psychological isolation ward. She was glaring back at him, fuming at his presence.

She pressed a button on her hospital bed, opening an intercom with a nurse. "What the hell is HE doing here?!"

"He asked to visit you, Miss Soryu."

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay, Asuka-" Shinji tried to answer.

"WHY!? Why do you care now?! All you care about is that little bitch!"

"Asuka, that's not true-"

"That little bitch Rei rescued ME! I'd rather have died! I HATE HER! I HATE YOU, SHINJI!"

"...Even if she was capable of hating you in return, Asuka, Rei would never think of you as a 'little bitch'."

Asuka gave a sick laugh at that answer. "Yeah, 'capable'. She really is a little human drone. Never gets angry, never gets sad, definitely never hated anything in her perfect, wonderful, beautiful life! She always does exactly what she's told without question. She's the perfect girl for a weak beta-male like you, Shinji! Let me guess, you can just show up at her apartment without an invitation, order her to get down on her knees and open her mout-"

"Asuka, STOP! I came here to see you! Why do you have to constantly attack Rei? She has never done a single bad thing to you, EVER!"

"Oh Yeah?! Every chance I've had to be happy, that little bitch STOLE FROM ME! She's the Commander's favorite, she's the 'famous Eva Test Pilot', and she has your 24 hour attention and slavish devotion! She's never had to work a day in her life! All I've ever done is train to earn my rank and status, and this is how you thank me!? I'm sick of being completely alone for everything I do! What the hell did I have to do to you to have some company every so often?"

"Well for starters, you could have refrained from slapping, kicking, sideswiping and punching me. You could have withheld your expletive-laced opinions about Rei, who I've known far longer than I have you. You could have abstained from referring to me as a 'spineless coward wimp'."

"I wanted to see you get stronger!"

"Kindness, courtesy, meekness and friendship is strength, Asuka. Anger, hate and brutish violence are the real signs of weakness. I need to go check on Touji, now. And for the record, you have no idea how badly Rei has it." He left her to shiver and quake in her own cold space.

* * *

Touji was nudged awake from his painkiller-assisted slumber by one of the nurses. "Wake up, dear, your guests can't stay long, and they had to go through a bunch of hoops to see you."

Touji turned his head and made out Hikari's pigtails and Rei's blue hair through his blurred vision.

"...Class Rep?...Ayanami?..."

"I was just so worried about you, Touji. I heard you got hurt...and back at school you said that you didn't want to do it and-"

"Yeah...I did say all that...I don't really care about it...I figure I get my ass kicked then I get tossed back home-"

"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi will ensure that you are compensated and that your sister continues to receive personal care, Pilot Suzuhara. You need not be concerned for her future."

"...Either of you know what I did out there?"

"Unit-03 went beserk." Rei told him the half-truth. "It began acting on its own. It appears that it did not want a human pilot. You did nothing wrong, Touji. You will be wheelchair-dependent for a long period, but you are expected to recover."

"...I guess that's pretty good news...It's great to know you two are okay." He shot a weak smile to Hikari who ran to his bedside and hugged his injured form. "We can hang out more when all this blows over."

He glanced over to Rei. "How's Shinji doing?"

"He is unhurt, but he is expected to recount his behaviors during your test to the Commander."

"That sounds real fun. I wouldn't want to walk in on those two..." The nurse appeared and ushered the two girls out.

Shinji missed the two girls as he snuck into Touji's room. "You know, us Three Stooges aren't ever all together anymore."

"Hey, bro...I look like total shit, don't I?"

"Trust me, after what I can only describe as the 'plasma diamond' Angel attacked, I was worse off than you are by a long shot...I'm sorry I couldn't help you...I tried to keep you from getting hurt during the test and I failed. And it's not the first time-"

"Shinji if you keep blaming yourself for me getting my ass kicked I'm going to personally climb out of this hospital bed and pound some sense into you. You have nothing to apologize for; I'm going to be fine. Your girlfriend already told me everything."

"What!? When was-"

"She brought Hikari to see me. It was a really nice thing for her to do for me, so you don't have to worry, Shinji. I'm going to sleep all day and Hikari's going to sneak edible food in with Rei from now on. Now get outta here, I know you have work you should be doing."

"...Okay, Touji, I'll see you later." Shinji left the room and was accosted by Section 2.

"First Lieutenant Ikari, you are expected in the Commander's quarters." One of the agents handcuffed him and led him to his father's office.

* * *

"Insubordination...Hijacking an Evangelion Unit...Attacking noncombat personnel...I could come up with a few more charges to levy on you, Shinji...Do you have anything to say for yourself."

"...I could have saved Touji, instead you used my hands to try and kill him!"

"And so you believe that your 'righteous anger' is somehow justified...You dissapoint me, Shinji. I had hoped to teach you that you must be willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals."

"I did learn that, 'Father'. I learned that I will sacrifice anything that I have; I will sacrifice any facet of myself for Misato, Rei, Asuka or Touji. But I will NEVER sacrifice anybody else for my own gain!"

"Yes, it seems you will sacrifice any part of yourself for them. You should be spending the rest of your life in prison, but NERV Branch 3 heard about your actions for Captain Soryu. They believe that your interference with the Angel attack saved her life and her sanity. They've given themselves the idea to award you the German Order of Merit." He handed Shinji an envelope addressed by the German Chancellor.

Shinji stared at the letter. "I don't want any thanks, praise, award, or recognition for me fighting for Asuka. I know that she's alive, that's all that matters. If it's my good deed for NERV, then consider it my resignation."

"That's it then? You're giving up; you're finally running away?"

"I don't want anything to do with the people who condemned Touji to die."

The Commander furrowed his brow, left his desk and walked to Shinji. He unclasped his handcuffs and made a broadcast to Section 2 across their radios.

"Former Lieutenant Ikari is leaving the premises. Do not interfere with him."

Former Lieutenant Ikari walked, posture rigid and face cold as he exited the facilites and began the long train ride to the surface.

* * *

Shinji was packing his bookbag with what small possessions he could fit when Misato walked into his room, her head bandaged and her arm in a sling.

"You don't have to do this, Shinji. Touji, Ritsuko and I will all recover."

"Yes, I do. You, Rei, Asuka and Touji aren't my enemies. The man who gave the order to kill Touji is."

"If you leave, Section 2 will be tracking you like a hawk."

"Let them come, they can give me all the 'enhanced interrogations' they want. I don't care anymore."

Misato blocked his path out of the door.

"Misato, let me leave."

She broke down in tears and sqeezed him in her one strong arm. "Please don't go, Shinji. You're the first chance I've ever had to have a family..."

"You've got Asuka and Kaji, Misato. You aren't alone. I'm choosing to be. Tell Kaji that I said thank you for helping Rei."

Shinji walked out of the apartment as Misato stared out the open door, sobbing. = I wanted to be a mother...with Shinji I had that chance... = She knelt to the floor and cried after him.

* * *

Shinji had made it to that lookout Misato showed him when he first moved to the city. He looked over the city that he now consciously wanted to save, but couldn't because of the callous people in positions of power.

= I'm done with it all, for real, this time. I guess I'll try to go home, again...I'll figure out how to deal with Section 2...Maybe I can just be a normal guy with a normal life. = He looked at the unopened envelope from Germany. = I don't want or deserve an award for anything I do. I just want to be accepted...I did it, really...I wanted friends, so I found Misato, Touji, Kensuke and Rei...Rei, God I've got to talk to her...My dad's got so much control over her...I hope she sees my side of the story. =

He left the countryside and rode the train to Rei's section of town.

* * *

"I hate seeing her having to live like this." He looked at the dilapidated apartment building she was assigned to, and made his way around the back of it. He walked through what was left of the janitors and maintenance hallways until he saw the Section 2 guard stationed at the building. = I wonder what this guy did to get assigned to the lousiest part of town... =

He silently walked up behind the bored guard, gripped his wrists, kicked his knees forward and dragged the agent to the ground. He grabbed the back of his head and knocked his sunglass-covered forehead into the sidewalk. = Going on 6 years of martial training, now...Nice to know it helps me deal with assholes. =

Shinji rooted through the guard's pockets. He looted his NERV ID and personal belongings, and took the guard's handgun and knife. He dragged the unconscious body to an abandoned and empty janitors closet, stuffed it inside and barred the door shut. = Sucks to be you, man, but you work for my dad. =

He walked up to 402 and entered the perpetually-broken door. Rei wasn't home. = The bastards are robbing her memories, again. = He moved her single classroom chair to a side of the room where he could see the door and sat down to wait. He wore the knife on a convenient belt loop and examined the firearm based on the training he'd received at NERV. = Weapon is loaded...9mm, semi...safe is on...8+1 rounds and the guy had two extra magazines...at least I can seriously defend myself, now... = He slipped the weapon through his belt and waited. She didn't return home for hours. = They must really be desperate to enhance the dummy plugs... =

Shinji was drowsy and bored when he heard the door open. She weakly walked into the room and laid on her bed, she didn't even acknowledge his presence.

= Something is seriously wrong, here. What the hell are they doing to her? =

He went to the door and looked out and around...she wasn't followed. = I guess they think that one guard is good for this empty building. =

He moved over to her bed and shook her lightly, she stirred but didn't wake. = Sorry, Rei... = He clapped loudly next to her ears.

Rei's eyes bolted open and she sat up and grabbed her head. Shinji held her shoulders as she wavered from disorientation and vertigo.

"Rei...Rei. Look at me. It's Shinji...What did they do to you?"

"...You should...not be here..."

"You gonna turn me in?"

"...No...I do not want...you to leave...but NERV Security will be...recording your locations." She leaned closer in his arms.

"I've...dealt with the guard at this building. Tell me, what did they do to you?"

"Did you...leave NERV?"

"...Yeah."

"They are...preparing a dummy plug for Unit-01...They plan to use it permanently..."

"So they put you in the chamber-"

"And they copied a...greater volume of my memory than normal...I feel...weak."

"Rei, do you have any food here?"

"I have instant rice and vegetables...I started grocery shopping after you began cooking...I wanted to eat more nutritious varieties than what I was receiving at NERV." He noticed she was speaking with a little more strength.

"I'm going to make something for you...You just rest." Shinji took what she had from her small refrigerator and started working in her kitchen when Rei's cell phone rang. She sat up in her bed and answered.

"Commander Ikari...?" She motioned to Shinji, placing one finger over her lips and pressed the speaker button on her phone.

"Yes, Rei, are you home safely?"

"Yes, Sir. I was about to eat...the session left me fatigued."

"I understand, but it was necessary due to former Lieutenant Ikari's actions. Rei, I know that you may feel loyal to him, but if he approaches you, report him to Section 2."

"Commander, may I provide my knowledge of Pilot Ikari's behaivor?"

"...You may, Rei, do you know his whereabouts?"

"Not precisely. I know that he speaks frequently about his previous time in his old guardian's city...I believe that he may return there. If Section 2 is searching for him, I would recommend that they concentrate on the road and railways onto the neighboring cities, as he is likely to attempt to return to his previous way of life."

"...Thank you, Rei...That is a solution we may implement...You have assisted us well in recent time."

"Thank you, Commander Ikari."

Shinji heard his father hang up the phone. He returned to cooking after waiting still and silent. He brought a simple vegetable and rice bowl to her and sat closely next to her on the bed. She slowly ate and rested against him. He was amazed that she would lie to his father for him.

"...Rei, you just sent Section 2 on a wild goose chase..."

"I know that you refused to attack Pilot Suzuhara because his life has value to you...I protected you because you treat me as if my life has value-"

"Rei, if my father ordered you to attack Touji..."

"Yes, Shinji, I would have done so. I would have seen the threat that the rebellious Eva posed. But," She paused. "You acted with more humanity and concern than what I am expected by the Commander to contain. He would see it as rebellion, but I can see no wrong in what you did...Shinji?"

"Yes, Rei?"

"Please forgive me for attacking you when you criticized your father. I see now that you knew the true nature of him..."

Shinji was taken aback. Rei Ayanami, Gendo Ikari's most loyal charge, apologizing for defending his name. "Rei, I can't forgive you for that because you did nothing that you need to apologize for. And I don't treat you 'like' your life has value. I treat you the way I do specifically because you have value, more value than I could ever understand." He tightened his hold on her when he answered her.

"...Shinji, when a...couple...argues, are they not supposed to take sides? I wish to apologize because of my treatment of you regarding your father, but now you are the one defending him." She had just referred to herself and Shinji as a couple, and she felt...content when she did so.

"Rei, if my father was anybody other than the person he is, you would have been right to stick up for him. He just kept you away from anybody that would treat you better than he did. Now that you know someone who has, you know what he's really like...I'm sorry, Rei, but that's why I have to leave NERV...If I go, I can bring you with me..."

"No, Shinji. I must remain here to defend against the Angels...You have the freedom to leave, I do not."

"...Then I'm staying here. If I have to personally take Section 2 apart, I won't leave you, Rei."

Rei smiled. "With the things you have done lately, Shinji, I believe that you could do so." She put down her empty bowl and moved against him. "Shinji, is this what it feels like to be held?"

"...Yeah, Rei, it is."

"I like this feeling." She mimicked his posture and placed her arms around his shoulders. They were both asleep in that position after just a short time, warm in each other's presence.


	23. Chapter 22: Power

Answers:  
ANON: Gendo is not as good of a planner as he thinks he is.  
Fleightfire: Welcome to the Legend  
Fanus: He's hostile to Misato because this is the point where events make him VERY jaded and cynical. And don't worry, I have plans for Gendo.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 22: Power

* * *

NERV HQ, MAGI Sublevel, 0450

"This is like the third time I've been down here...At least I know what I'm doing, now!" Mari tried to suppress a laughing fit as she quickly cut and restored the power for MAGI-3: CASPAR. She was already on the system's local terminal by the time it rebooted, allowing her to start typing.

She broke in to the boot command line and proceeded to delete 8 drive arrays worth of backed up memory for the dummy plug program.

"And with that, 80 terabytes of dummy plug memory backups are lost in space. Lets see Ritzy restore THAT before the next Angel gets here. You owe me Ryouji...Princess is still in the hospital...How do I con those techs into swapping my Core into Unit-02-"

She cried out in pain as she grabbed her head and collapsed to her knees. Inside her mind she saw...what looked like herself...creating a well-forged Core Exchange report for the UN's Project Evangelion Authority. The words she used in the document became etched in her mind...and as soon as the vision came, Mari was back to reality, her head free of pain and a plan coming together in her thoughts.

= Owww, what was that? It felt like I can either see the future or it was Deja-Vu...Almost like...I've done this before...I know exactly how to convince the UN to give me Unit-02!...I don't know how that just happened, but this is gonna be fun. =

* * *

Tokyo-3, 0500

"Can't get up...too heavy...where am I?"

Shinji was still mostly-asleep and struggled to get out of the bed, feeling like there was a 60 Kilogram barbell on top of him.

He loudly sneezed when he felt some hair brush against his nose, the noise disturbing his drowsy companion. = I'm not alone here!? Where the hell am I!? = He looked around through hazy eyes. = Wait...I'm at Rei's apartment? Then yesterday was real...I'm not a pilot anymore...Waitaminute, Rei! What did we do last night!? = He looked down and saw they were both still dressed in their school uniforms and hadn't even rustled the bedspread. = I guess...nothing...I'm not going to lie to myself and say I'm not enjoying this...She's warm, and her hair's so soft... = He started absentmindedly nuzzling the back of her head; he noticed that she smelled like LCL. = That weird girl told me that I smell just like this...Now that I think about it, it does smell pretty good...when it's Rei, at least. =

"...Shinji?...You are still here?..." She half-spoke, half-yawned.

= Oops... = "Yes, Rei...I guess we both fell asleep...Do you want me to leave-"

"No. Stay...but allow me to sleep...I still feel weary from the LCL yesterday..."

He lightly ran his fingers through her hair as he thought out loud. "...Rei? About the dummy plugs...Why do you let them use you for it? We've seen what they're capable of..."

She thought for a moment. "At the time, all I really understood was that I had been raised to obey the Commander's orders...It was not until you spoke to me about 'growth' and rebellion that I realized that I could question what was being done to me. At first, I had no concern for the deliriousness that came with the chamber...When I began suffering from the amnesia it created, I realized that I did not want to lose the memories that made me happy. Memories about you made up a large portion of them..."

"...Then I'm glad I did...we'll figure out a way to stop the experiments..." He pulled her closer to him and they both gave up on consciousness again.

* * *

NERV Command Bridge, 0620

Maya, Shigeru, and Makoto had been the first operatives alerted by the MAGI's scans, and were in the command bridge before sunrise.

"It just appeared out of thin air! It must have been using its AT Field to cloak itself as it approached! Contact the Lieutenant Colonel! Prep the Dummy Plug for Unit-01 and retrieve the Unit-00 Pilot!"

This was an entirely different sight than the bridge crew were used to seeing. Until now, the Angels at least looked relatively...alive. This one, however was a living corpse of a nightmare. It levitated its way to the shores of Tokyo-3, its 60 meter tall mummified body was wrapped in tattered and torn bandages, with a bony, visible skull housing two glowing red eyes.

The JASDF began their missile and cannon barrage, to absolutely no effect. Evacuation sirens began blaring across the city as the skyscrapers retracted into the ground. Shinji and Rei were both half-asleep, trying to fight off the morning light entering the room when they heard the first round of attacks. Shinji was the first one shocked awake by a missile explosion. He looked out of her window to see the day's assignment approaching the center of Tokyo-3.

"It's here! This Angel is huge! It looks like a mummy the way it's covered in rotting bandages! Why haven't you gotten a message yet!?"

"It is likely that NERV itself is not yet fully staffed at this hour of the morning."

"Okay, Rei. Call the Commander and ask for his armored car to pick you up. That'll get you to NERV safely."

"Shinji, are you-"

"I'm not going to let you be put in danger, I'm going to call a friend and we're gonna steal Unit-01 before they can activate that dammed plug."

He slipped out of the apartment building. Rei noticed that his SDAT player and a letter from Germany were left behind in her room. = Germany? Pilot Soryu is German. What is this? = She opened the letter, found Shinji's medal and a document offering the German government's gratutious praise for his protection of Asuka. = He has not even examined these items...Does he really think so lowly of himself as to refuse praise from others? =

* * *

"STATUS REPORT!" Kaji helped Misato and Ritsuko enter the bridge, both women still in pain and under treatment after the explosion at Matsushuiro. He felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket and smirked when he saw the caller ID. He slipped away from the bridge in the confusion, making his way to one of NERV's garages to find his Yamaha R15; he needed to bring Shinji in, and fast.

"Lt. Colonel, it's been confirmed. This thing's the Fourteenth Angel. The missile strikes aren't slowing it down. Ayanami just contacted the Commander and she should be on her way in as we speak...Techs are currently attempting to install a dummy plug in Unit-01."

"Then they're taking too long- WHAT THE HELL?!"

Unit-02 appeared in the launch rails, rocketing towards the GeoFront surface.

"Who launched Unit-02!?"

"...There's no launch record!" Ritsuko answered from her terminal. "It's not using a dummy plug, either! Somebody open a channel and find out who's piloting it!"

"Dr. Akagi, the pilot's disconnected all communications!"

"Then this pilot wants to do it the hard way."

* * *

"Oh man, it feels so good to have a plugsuit that actually fits my sizes!"

Mari bounced her more excellent body parts around to feel their fit inside her new suit, bright pink with tiger stripes and the number '05' printed on its chest. = As good a tribute to Unit-05 as any. I still miss it, dearly. =

"Although...I don't like how the Princess rubbed her smell off on all this fresh LCL, puppy boy smells a lot better!...All right then, I've gotta act fast or else HQ's done for!" She hoisted two rifles as the Angel shrugged off a cluster of N2-equipped crusie missiles and blew a hole in the Tokyo-3 armor. She opened fire only to see the Angel extend its AT Field out in front of it, the stream of fire and the field pounding each other into a stalemate.

"...Golly that's a strong AT Field! I'll never be able to break it from this distance...What else have I got down here?...Oh crap not again!" She winced in pain. Her head was filled with a...memory? She saw herself brandishing the Thunder Spear, a plasma torch attached to a blade, like the progressive knife, but this weapon was huge, covering half of Unit-02's height. She saw herself entering specific voice commands into Unit-02, it becoming infinitely stronger than anybody at NERV ever expected. She saw herself challenging the Fourteenth Angel hand-to-hand. = So that's how it's gonna be, all right then! =

She picked the incredible weapon from an equipment elevator and waited for the Angel to begin its descent towards the GeoFront. She lit the plasma and sprinted towards the mummified nightmare. She jumped high in Unit-02 and brought the blade down directly on the Angel's visible core, it being stopped millimeters away by the AT Field.

"POINT BLANK! SHITHEAD!" She fired Unit-02's shoulder rocket launchers, sending four missiles into the field at suicide-close distance. The explosion blasted Unit-02 back into a wall of rubble and destroyed facilities, the Angel still unhurt. = SHIT! = A beam of energy from the Angel destroyed the area she had collapsed on, and she rolled off to the side as the beam ended and the smoke cleared. She retreated to a safe distance and stood Unit-02 up to look at her unstoppable opponent. "Nice try, ugly bastard!"

"Let's get a look at this thing...It's kicking my ass out there...All right, lets see if these funky visions have any bearing on reality. What did I say during...my last fight with this thing? It's worth a try, at least."

"Only one way to find out...NO MORE RESTRAINTS! INVERT CONTROLS! BACKDOOR CODE: THE BEAST!"

Unit-02's viewscreens, motor controls, and life support shut down and rebooted. Massive control rods ejected from the Unit's arms, legs, and back. Mari collapsed and groaned in pain as her muscles and nerves forcefully synchronized to 100% with the Unit. Unit-02 dropped from it's standing posture and landed on all fours, hunched like an animal.

"It's working! It's okay...Unit-02." Mari growled out. "It's just as painful for me...as it is for you!"

"Nothing ventured...Nothing Gained! We can...do this, Unit-02!" The Evangelion Unit roared and blew away its power cable as Mari felt the unrestricted power of the Evangelion surging through her veins.

"HOW ABOUT A RUNNING START?!" She tore through the ground, charging like a bull towards the Angel, jumping and clawing through layers of its AT Field. Another memory unlocked in her head. = It's going to try and stab me with those bandage things...NOT THIS TIME! = Mari punched through layer after layer of the field, watching as the bandages became solid and sharp. = There's what I need to hit! = She jumped dozens of stories high in Unit-02 as she marked the Angel's core with her viewscreens. She felt herself weightless in hangtime as she dove back down through the remaining fields and grabbed onto one of the creature's exposed ribs, the weight of a skydiving Evangelion caused it to bend and snap in her grip, the rest of the ribcage closing over the formerly exposed core. Where there used to be a massive target, there was now a single window to place a shot through.

"...I've got to...find a weapon..." She didn't get the chance. The Angel retracted it's bandages, grabbed Unit-02 by the leg and arm, and sliced it's left arm away.

* * *

Shinji had ignored Rei's Section 2's motorcade and was running on foot to the nearest GeoFront lift when a motorcycle roared down to him. Kaji had ramped off of a parked car and landed within sneezing distance of Shinji, who nearly pissed himself at the thought of being crushed by 600 pounds of engine and wheels.

"Get on, kiddo! Mari fixed the dummy system for us, and now your asshole dad can't start it! Unit-01 needs a real man for a pilot, now!"

"Kaji, get me to NERV, then go find Kensuke and Hikari, make sure they're safe."

"You've got it, now let's get out of here!" Shinji climbed onto the back of the bike and Kaji tore away to the NERV upper-city entrance.

* * *

"Commander! Dr. Akagi! Unit-01 is still in the entry bays! It's refusing to connect to the dummy system!" Hyuga relayed the Commander's worst news of the day. His personal project, the first goal of Rei's purpose...was failing, repeatedly.

"Fuyutsuki...Take command. I have to go to the Unit-01 cage." He began the long walk to the launch levels, knowing without a doubt that SHE was the one stopping the dummy system from activating.

"Dr. Akagi, Unit-02 has just gone into a controlled berserk state...The pilot is attacking the Angel but it isn't causing enough damage-"

"Unit-02's bestial form. Even it couldn't defeat the Angel. We've reached the limit of the Eva's capabilites-...UNIT-00!?"

Misato was on the verge of panic as she saw Rei lift out of the ground "She doesn't even have a rifle!"

Misato saw that Rei was carrying...A ballistic missile with an N2 MIRV warhead. "REI! DON'T DO THIS! REI!"

Rei and Unit-00 took off running towards the Angel.

"I can do this...For him... So he never has to pilot..." She felt Shinji's SDAT clipped to her plugsuit's waist. "Again!" Rei was nearly silent, but even though her voice lacked volume, her tone told anything capable of hearing her: She was enraged.

"Dammit that hurt!" Mari mined the last ounce of her willpower from her gut and dragged Unit-02 back to life, the wounded animal charging on three legs to where Rei was slamming the missile against the Angel's chest.

"Alright Unit-02, this is it! Your final task: Just ONE. MORE. LAYER!" She grabbed another rib in Unit-02's teeth, ripping and tearing until the cracks in the ribs widened enough that the core was visible through the Angel's skeletal armor. She saw the missile being released from Rei's grasp and felt herself being gripped by the back of her neck and being thrown away from the fight.

"Now Run, Get out of here!...And, thank you." Rei growled over the radio. Mari looked in terror as she watched the missile explode, Rei and the Angel being enveloped in blinding heat and light.

* * *

"...YOU! You're the Eva pilot charged with treason! You're under arres-" * Click *

Shinji's weapon was pointed between the gate guard's eyes. "You see the Gun? That's who I am." = I don't have time for this. = "Either you let me in and you don't die, or you hold me up here and everybody on the fucking planet dies! YOUR CHOICE!"

The terrified Section 2 guard allowed Shinji to pass. He took off running towards the Eva cages.

* * *

"Why, Yui? Why do you fight me so? Am I really so undeserving of your trust?" Commander Ikari asked the rebellious Evangelion.

"...What's the result of the latest insertion?" Commander Ikari asked one of the nearby technicians.

"Commander...we've tested and retested this plug...there was nothing wrong with it as of last night! Unit-01 appears to be actively refusing to connect to it-"

"The dummy plug didn't work, did it?" Shinji stood at Unit-01's walkway, smirking up at his father, who was visibly exasperated by the endless failures. "Me and Unit-01? We're a lot alike, really. Neither of us were going to put up with what you did to Touji, and this is how it's telling you that."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here because I'm the ONLY pilot for Evangelion Unit-01, and you won't be brutalizing Rei's mind just to have an obedient weapon! Now, you either let me in- or -everybody here dies! You can comprehend that, can't you 'Father'? Or was that Kyoto University education a complete waste of money?"

Gendo scowled. How did his son, a pawn, remove a knight and check the King?

* * *

"What's the status on Unit-00!?" Misato was shouting down the bridge crew

"...My god...Both arms have been blown away. It's just standing there! Rei's an open target!"

"And the Angel!?"

"The explosion...weakened the core...from the looks of it, the Angel is stunned or disoriented...It and what's left of Unit-00 are at a standoff!"

"Then get Unit-01 activated, Dammi-"

The entire facility rocked and operatives were thrown from their positions as the tired Angel turned its attention from Unit-00 to the NERV pyramid. The Angels were not unintelligent. That ball of fire may not have killed it, but it knew it was too weak to continue against its challenger. It knew that a simple object of glass and stonework could not fight back against it.

"Misato! It's on a direct path for...The Bridge! It's headed straight for us!"

"Then everybody evacuate, NOW!"

Too late. The Angel exploded through NERV's bridge viewscreen wall and it's eyes glowed with power, ready to destroy all of its target in a single strike.

A purple fist cut its early victory short, and the Angel was punched into the wall opposite Unit-01's stance.

"Unit-01? The dummy plug wasn't working...IT'S SHINJI!"

The Angel tried, futilely, to wrestle away from Unit-01. Shinji threw the Angel through the wall into the launch platforms, where his left arm was severed by a beam from the Angel's eyes. Shinji's scream was quickly drowned out by his order to Misato.

"MISATO! The catapult!"

"Fire the platform!"

Unit-01 planted the Angel's face against the wall, its bony jaw grinding and sparking as the catapult shot to the surface. Shinji and the Angel sailed into the air, coasting on momentum until they were brought back down by gravity. The Angel landed on its back and Unit-01 landed, fist first, on the Angel's chest, punching and tearing the flesh around from the now completely-visible core.

"You bastard! I'll tear you apart by hand-" Shinji shouted, only to have Unit-01's power supply discharge. He had forgotten to grab a power cable from...anywhere. The Angel wrapped up one of its long bandages and stabbed Unit-01 in its chest, eliciting a torrent of blood from the mouths of Unit-01 and Shinji, who wheezed and coughed around the LCL in the plug.

"Lietuenant Colonel, Unit-01's power supply has been completely discharged, and Units 00 and 02 are too heavily damaged to engage."

"Then...Then...Enter the code into the MAGI to prepare for HQ self-destruct. Do not activate the system until-"

Maya's radio crackled to life with the tired, hostile voice of an angry Shinji Ikari. "You...hurt...Rei. You. Hurt. Rei. YOU HURT REI!"

"Ritsuko!" Maya cried. "Unit-01 is going berserk...Again!"

"What! Just what do I have to do to stop this from happening?!"

Unit-01's eyes lit red, a hateful light glowing behind them. The open stab wounds covered themselves and the Evangelion stood. It began to walk towards the Angel, who shot a beam of energy towards it to absolutely no effect, as Unit-01's AT Field deflected the beam in every direction except Unit-01's position. Unit-01 formed the AT Field into a cone and punched the Angel, the field puncturing the Angel's chest and sending it flying backwards into the hillside.

"Shinji's Sync level is multiplying exponentially! He's synchronizing with the Eva past 160% and climbing rapidly! He's in danger of absorption!"

"WHAT!?" Misato took Maya's radio and screamed. "SHINJI! Stop this! It's not worth losing you! We'll find some other way!"

An unnatural, almost machine-like voice responded. "I don't care if there's another way. This is the way that I am fighting.

The Angel will pay. The Angel will pay. The Angel will pay. The Angel will pay..."

Shinji and Unit-01's sadistic chanting continued as Unit-01 stepped its way to the Angel's abused and nearly-broken body. It leaned over it, roared, and tore away one of the bandages from the Angel's body, grafting it onto its own missing arm. Unit-01 grabbed the Angel's core with both hands and began to tear.

"The Angel will pay. The Angel will pay. The Angel will pay. The Angel will pay..."

"Shinji's at 320%! His plug signal is fading! He's being absored!"

Unit-01 ripped the core away from the Angel, and it exploded in a shower of blood and LCL. Unit-01 held the Angel's core organ against its own, synthetic one. The core from the still-living being overshadowed the disembodied core of the Fourteenth Angel. Unit-01 roared and its armor began to blow away at points, showing off the Unit's featureless, muscular body; green, synthetic eyes; and velociraptor-like teeth."

Ritsuko spoke. "That armor wasn't just for defense! It prevents the Eva's power from overtaking it! It's just as powerful as the Angels, now!"

"400%! I repeat, 400%! Shinji's being absorbed! We're too late!" Maya was panicking and began to go into shock as Aoba and Hyuga attempted to calm her.

Misato stared in panic, and whispered. "Shinji, please don't leave again...I can't take the pain of losing you anymore...Please don't go."

* * *

From his stance on a hillside, Kaji observed the creation of a physical god. "Well, Commander," he spoke to himself, "SEELE is going to have a serious problem with you creating a trigger before they did..."

* * *

Fuyutsuki observed the events and gave his opinion to Commander Ikari. "I am truly impressed, Gendo. You not only succeeded in awakening Unit-01, but our losses were extremely minimal. You could have easily caused the third impact yourself, today."

"Yes, but it was not how I had designed it. The Third Child's interference with the dummy plugs created two gods today. Unit-01 has already decided to obey the Third over NERV."

"And are you really suprised? Where do you believe the true loyalty lies? With the husband or the son?"

"I should consider that an insult, but I know you are correct, Professor."


	24. Chapter 23: Memory

Answers:  
Fanus: Now that comment there is just plain scary.  
Dude: He takes it pretty well, actually...  
Kaizer: The oshits aren't all used up, yet!  
ANON: That ending is too easy for Gendo...

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 23: Memory

* * *

"Well, Commander, I don't want to sound too callous, but how do you plan to explain this to the old bastards? The Committee will have me shot if I don't get them a report, and soon."

"Report that Units 00 and 02 were damaged from combat only. There was no psionic contamination in either of them."

"And Unit-01?"

"Tell them that, at the end of the day, Unit-01 is still technically a prototype. So far, Unit-02 is the only Unit not to go completely berserk at some point in its history. Unit-01 had entered a berserk state, resulting in a loss of control from NERV. We were physically incapable of influencing its behavior. I am willing to conjecture that the personality inside the core is what drove Unit-01 to its rage. Emphasize the point that this was against an immensely destructive enemy, and that all physical and psychological limiters in Units 01 and 02 had to be removed in order to eliminate it. There was nothing we could do to stop Unit-01 by that point."

"I hope, for both of our necks, that they buy that story, Commander."

"Do not give them any extraneous information, Inspector. This is the only 'story' that exists. They have no choice but to accept it."

Kaji left the Commander's chamber, and Fuyutsuki spoke up.

"Do you really think that he's going to side with us before the UN, Gendo?"

"We know that Kaji will do anything to ensure Colonel Katsuragi's well-being, Professor. He has everything to lose and absolutely nothing gain from double-crossing us. He's self-aware enough to know that himself."

* * *

Misato and Ritsuko were overseeing the manual suspension of Unit-01.

"We've got it restrained, but what's the danger of it restarting on its own?"

"I honestly don't know, Misato. The entire system is shut down, like it blew every fuse in its power supply."

"Then how do we get the plug out?!"

"We have to wait. I'm sorry Misato, but this is an experimental extraction. The Unit has never gone dormant like this before. We have to follow the scientific method to the letter, any precision we sacrifice ends with Shinji's death."

"Dr Akagi, Colonel Katsuragi, we have the final video transmission from the plug." Hyuga arrived at Unit-01's bay and brought the two to the auxilliary bridge.

"This place is not equipped for warfare." Misato stated as she entered the less impressive of the two command areas.

"Yeah, but it's what we've got to work with. Construction's gonna have to work on the main bridge for at least a month to restore it to a usable state. The story on our end has Shinji's suit sending vital signs until this point in time." Aoba brought up a timestamp from Unit-01's broadcast and displayed it on the main viewscreen.

"WHAT IN HELL!?"

The video feed showed a sealed, empty entry plug with Shinji's blue and gray plugsuit drifting aimlessly in the LCL. Misato and Maya gasped while Ritsuko's face hardened into a glare.

= Well, Unit-01, that's the second time for you, isn't it? =

"Where's Shinji! What happened to him?!"

"I have a hypothesis, Misato. LCL is essentially the primordial ooze from which life on Earth was created. As Shinij dove to the 400% sync, his consciousness merged with the Evangelion and left his body to whither. His body then rapidly decomposed, at lightning speed, and returned to the organic compounds that our biologic processes alter into sustainable organ tissue. However, Shinji's body is essentially still in there. Seeing as the Artificial Evolution Laboratory is still open, we can use its resources to research a process for reconstruction."

"What do you mean 'reconstruction'?"

"We can Rebuild him. We have the technology."

* * *

"What am I looking at? There's my plugsuit! When did I get undressed?"

"Did I beat the Angel? When are they gonna let me out of here?"

Shinji tried holding his hands in front of his face and saw nothing, just the empty entry plug.

"Where am I? Aren't I inside Unit-01? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

Shinji felt like he was dry heaving, but he felt no reaction from his lungs or stomach. He felt afraid, but he couldn't feel his heart rate race or his temperature drop. He knew that he was afraid and was well-experienced with the physical reaction to fear, but he felt...nothing. No physical reaction whatsoever, and that made him feel even more fear.

"Did I lose?! Am I dead?! Is this my own personal Hell? SOMEBODY LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

One person did hear him.

"Shinji, I'm disappointed in you. You are more than intelligent enough and more than brave enough to act more mature than you are right now."

"Who else is in here?!"

"I guess you wouldn't remember my voice after almost 12 years, would you?"

"12 years...what was 12 years ago?"

"The activation test."

"Activation test?"

"Hmm, You must have suppressed the trauma...Let me fix that."

He suddenly felt the warm outline of a human hand where he thought his forehead might be. He couldn't see anybody until an image rushed into his head at the touch.

* * *

_Yui harnessed herself into the entry crane—an unwieldy scaffolding that would lower her into the core directly, and as the test was started, all personnel were ushered behind the bulletproof windows. Unit-01 was plugged into its ultra-high-voltage power conduit and Yui was lowered. A flash of light from the core and the MAGI displayed the simple text 'success' on their terminals. Dr. Akagi hushed the celebrating and gave the order "All right, let's get her out!" A technician at the next terminal gave her the warning: Yui's mind was synchronizing with Unit-01 well beyond the 1:1, 100% threshold. At this rate, the Evangelion was going to take control of her._

_"EMERGENCY STATIONS! All personnel focus on deactivating Unit-01!" Akagi shouted across the facility. "Cut power! Lower the crane, we'll fish her out if we have to!"_

_The entry rig attempted to remove the endangered pilot, but Unit-01 tore the scaffolding away with its newly-activated arms, halting the intended rescue attempt._

_"My God," the tech gasped out. "She's going to a 400% sync…she's dissolving in the core!"_

_"What!? Why isn't it deactivating?"_

_"Ma'am 14 seconds until internal battery is depleted"_

_"That's too long! 10 seconds."_

_"Yui, please," Gendo whispered to himself. "6 seconds"_

_"5…4…3…2…1" The robotic weapon's eyes darkened and its arms fell slack._

_Silence._

_The room felt silence for over a minute._

_"Dr. Akagi…" Naoko looked down at the boy by her leg._

_"Wasn't my mom out there?"_

_"Yes she was, but we'll have her back in the office in no time," the motherly scientist lied, but she doubted he believed her._

_She picked him up and carried him over to his father, who was still staring out over the failed test._

_Gendo Ikari wasn't a cold man, but his heart broke that day. Something in his mind broke as well. He spoke to the lifeless robot, "I'll save you Yui, even if it kills me and everyone else here."_

* * *

"Is that a memory? Did...did I see all that?"

"Yes, you did, Shinji. That day when your heartless father abandoned you was the first time you saw Unit-01."

"Then...you're-"

"I love you, Shinji."

"...Mom…?" Shinji squeaked out, his disembodied voice breaking due to fear and sadness.

"Yes, Shinji, I'm...mostly alive, anyway."

"Mom...why? Why did you do that test? You-"

"I knew from the beginning that it wouldn't kill me, Shinji. I made a mistake with my life: Your father was never as smart or good as you are right now, I saw that fact much too late. I never should have been with him, but I had to thank him for what he gave me. What he did give me was you, Shinji, and I was never happier than to see you coming to work with us that day, but I always had a hunch- call it a woman's intuition –that I knew exactly who would be in control of Unit-01. I love you so much, Shinji, that I was not going to let your father put you in danger. I willingly tricked the science team into letting me enter Unit-01's core. From there, I could help you, keep you safe, I would always know how you were feeling and what you were thinking, and I was so proud of you when you refused to harm your friend Touji. I wish I could have met him, I'll bet he's as nice of a boy as you are!"

"Um, yeah, Mom." = Okay it feels really weird to call Unit-01 'Mom' = "Touji is really cool and friendly...that's why I couldn't fight him..."

"Shinji, that's nothing to be sad about. You refused an unlawful order. In the JSDF branches, they call that the Duty to Disobey, and it takes integrity and courage to stand up to those above you. We both tried to fight that autopilot that took us over, but it got activated in the end...I happen to know how to resist it, now, so it has no power over Unit-01, anymore."

"But my dad's still trying to build the dummy plugs, and he's been hurting Rei to do it. I've got to find some way to stop it from happening!"

"Rei is your pretty friend with the blue hair, isn't she?"

"Yes, mom-"

"She's pretty much the only thing you think about while you're in here, lately!"

"Mom! I mean...it's not...she's just-"

"Shinji, I approve."

"...You do?"

"I can only see as far as Unit-01 can, so that means I spend a lot of time staring at the holding bay walls, but I do see the world around us when we're out on the job. I've seen that Rei is a kind, brave, determined girl. She isn't anything like that redheaded pilot that always mistreats you."

"Asuka?"

"Asuka? Asuka Langely Soryu? She's the Unit-02 pilot?"

"Um, yeah. Did you know-"

"I knew her when she was just a baby. Her mother worked in the German branch. I would have expected Kyoko to raise her better than she turned out. I'll admit, Shinji, I've had to restrain myself from punishing Unit-02 with all the insults and degrading comments I hear coming from her across the radio."

"Well, she's hurt and in the hospital, Mom. Maybe they can get her counseling, there."

"It would certainly be nice if they could make her a kind, caring teen girl, but I'm not crossing my fingers. Some people simply thrive on hate; I'm glad to know that you stand up for yourself, now. Now, I'll bet you think Rei looks really good in that plugsuit of hers!" Shinji realized that, even safely inside Unit-01, he couldn't escape being teased about Rei.

"MOM!"

"It's okay, Shinji. I designed the suits that way because I needed close nerve connections to the body. The fact that it shows off a girl's figure well is just a side effect."

"Mom! I don't think like that! I'm not a pervert like that-"

"Being attracted to someone you're involved with isn't being perverted, Shinji. It's how you're supposed to think, and it shows you care about her. Asuka probably abuses you for any hint of affection you give her, right?"

"She just calls me a perverted idiot and hits me."

"And you're enough of a gentleman that you choose not to hit back. Tell me what your father's been doing."

"He's using LCL and the base computer to copy Rei's thoughts and memories. He's using her to build the dummy plugs."

"...Stomping my way around the base is probably out of the question, so I'll have to think of a more subtle solution to the plugs. I'll need some time."

"Mom, why did you and dad get involved? I wouldn't have ever thought about you fighting a war or anything like that."

"Because we lived through the Second Impact, Shinji; and, seeing how I'm a microbiologist and all, I knew that I could study the Angels and develop a way to protect the earth from them. I didn't want you to have to live through what we experienced, and up to this point, I've succeeded. I know fighting the Angels hurts, Shinji. I feel the same pain every time. Your father, on the other hand, let that desire for peace become perverted into a desire for power. I'm not going to let him have it."

"But why us?! Neither of us were soldiers or fighters before now, we weren't qualified to fight for Earth! There have to be better qualified people to fight the Angels."

"You shouldn't ask yourself such worthless questions. Aim higher. Try this: why am I here? Why do I exist, and what is my purpose in this universe?

(Answers: 'Cause you are. 'Cause you do. 'Cause the Eva hits harder than the Angels do!)"

"...You're braver than I am, Mom."

"No, I'm not, Shinji. Sure, I entered Unit-01 to protect you, but I also did it to run away from your father. I see now how much of a mistake that was. When the Angels are gone and I can come home, I'll have to face him for real. And I intend to give him a piece of my mind that he'll never recover from. Now, you're probably needed in the real world, and I know for a fact that Miss Katsuragi and your girlfriend both miss you; you need to take her some place really romantic! So get out of here!"

Shinji felt the entry plug flooding the LCL onto the base around it and he yelped in fear as he tumbled out on to the floor, naked as the day he was born.

* * *

"Doctor, I can't believe that you created all this documentation yourself!"

"That's because I didn't, Maya. Most of it was my mother's research. She was here before your time, but she was involved in the first experiments in core entry. She developed the plan to extract a soul from a Unit. All right, people! Begin the LCL electrification. We only have one opportunity to get Shinji out of there. When the liquid is charged, polarize the organic particles and ensure that they are attracted properly. Power the system on when I give the order.

5…4…3…2…1…Power On!"

The test facility blacked out and the system controls shut down as Unit-01 strained within the Eva cage.

"It's activating on its own! Activate the bakelite injectors!"

The floor of the room was flooded with the purple epoxy while the entry plug ejected from Unit-01's back, opened, and dumped kiloliters of LCL, one plugsuit, and eventually, one Shinji Ikari.

"SHINJI!"

Misato saw the boy tumble out and darted out of the test control room and ran to his side. She collapsed to her knees and cried hysterically while holding him. Shinji dazedly came to in Misato's arms, and screamed in humiliation as he saw his own body…and his plugsuit a few yards away. She composed herself, got his plugsuit on him, and hoisted him to his feet, hugging him again after they were both standing.

"Shinji, stop disappearing like that! It's the third time I've lost you and I get more and more depressed each time you leave!"

"...I'm sorry Misato, sorry I keep hurting you when I run away...But this time, I really needed it to happen. Don't worry about the future, Misato. I'm staying...How are Asuka and Rei?"

"Asuka's still in psych therapy. Rei's in a recovery room, she survived an N2 attack, but she's probably tired and weak. I'll give you her room number, but don't go doing anything to fatigue her!"

"MISATO!"

"Hey, that reaction proves you're the one thinking about it!" Misato laughed at his expense. "I could have been referring to you two sparring or something like that!"

"Misato, I wouldn't-"

"I know that, Shinji. I'm just keeping you sharp and making sure that you treat her like royalty! Now go get her!" She smacked his back and shoved him out of the room. = Those two have changed each other for the better, haven't they?...How soon can you be home, Kaji? = She thought, wistfully.

* * *

"…I am alive…"

Rei opened her eyes to the bare white ceiling as she felt a hand stroking her cheek. She rolled her head and saw him looking down at her.

"Rei, Misato told me about that N2 Stunt. The next time you decide to kill yourself, ask me first." His eyes told her that he was having fun with his prodding.

"Shinji-"

"Just keep resting, Rei, I'm staying right here until you're safe to go." He pulled a guest chair up to the hospital bed and took her hand. She gave him a weak smile- he fell harder for that face every time he saw it –and returned to sleep.

=...Okay, I admit it, Mom's right. = Shinji made sure that this particular thought would never be heard. = She looks amazing in her plugsuit. =

* * *

A/N: So the plot's architect has introduced herself...I wonder how strong Shinji can get now that he knows he's loved and cared for...


	25. Chapter 24: Politics

Answers:  
Thaeonblade: I didn't want to rely on padding, and I thought the 'Do you want to become one with me?' scene from the TV show was stupid, so I didn't include it.  
Dr. Dude: I read Vengeance, and it was a good read, but it didn't match Yui's characterization from the TV show. She's shown as a very _good_, female foil to Gendo's god complex. I decided to play up the 'Good Mom' style for the future 'Gendo meets Yui again' scene.  
Fanus: My answer to Dude actually fits here as well.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 24: Politics

* * *

Somewhere Over the Arctic Circle, 23000 Feet

Kaji had a passenger at the copilot's controls of his Be-200, and they made their way to Europe to give his report on the Fourteenth Angel to the UN.

"I just can't get used to flying fixed wings. I always think to pull back on the controls to go forward, like the Eva joysticks."

"That's why I'm the Pilot in Command. Just remember: If you pull the stick back, the houses get smaller. If you _keep_ pulling the stick back, the houses suddenly get very very big very very fast!"

"Ryouji, that's the dumbest joke I've ever heard."

"But it's also completely correct, Mari. The behavior of your plane is usually a _side effect_ to what you do with it. For instance, moving the throttles up doesn't immediately make us go faster. The turbines act like a flywheel, and they have to spin up to a higher rotation speed before the jet engines create more thrust. The control surfaces stir up the air around us, they don't actually change our position. Pulling back on the controls forces the tail of the plane down in a vortex of air, and the side effect is that we start climbing."

"In the Eva, we just point our heads in a direction and we go there. So much simpler."

"And that's why flying will always be _inherently_ cool, even after the Evas are decommissioned. Now, go open the case behind us, I have a present for you."

Mari left the crew cabin and opened the sealed suitcase in the passenger compartment, where she found a disassembled marksman rifle and several cartridge boxes.

"...Ryouji! You got me a SCAR 17! With a 4.8X scope? I never knew you cared!"

"Well," He laughed, "I know chicks dig SCARS, and I specifically brought you along because I need a bodyguard while we're in The Hague. SEELE isn't happy in the slightest with either me or the Commander, and I need protection before I give my report. That plugsuit of yours is woven with dozens of layers of Kevlar. It can handle anything but a shot from an assault rifle; I'm not so well-armored, am I?"

"While I certainly love big guns, Ryouji, isn't this a bit overkill for a bodyguard?"

"If SEELE decides to 'retire' me, Mari, they're going to send professional hit teams. Body armor, explosives, the whole shebang...I need help from somebody better equipped than they are. To note: Armor Piercing 7.62, ACOG, and a bipod. Have fun with it."

"What's SEELE's deal, anyway?"

"Instrumentality. It really is one of the dumbest concepts I've ever uncovered. The old bastards want to kill everyone on earth and then resurrect us as immortal spirits...No, I'm not making that up."

"Sure, sure, anybody can destroy the earth, how do they plan to resurrect us?"

"By capturing the final Angel and using it as their servant to create a human-controlled Impact."

"And they really believe that it'll work...wow, that actually scares me."

"Unfortunately, SEELE has NERV by the balls, right now. That's why it's up to you, me, Misato, and the pilots to be the ones to stop them."

* * *

Evangelion Storage, NERV HQ

"What do you mean Unit-01 is going on ice?"

"Shinji, the Commander ordered Unit-01 to be immersed in bakelite as soon as we got you out. It's just too unstable, it's gone berserk on three occasions so far."

"And? Unit-01 is too important! Unit-01 has-" he almost slipped his tongue.

"Has what, Shinji?"

"Never mind. Unit-00 and 02 are still too damaged to fight, Misato!"

"Unit-02 is being repaired as we speak. Asuka is going to be released, soon. It appears that the psychologists say that she's coming to terms with her past and her hostility. They're getting her counseling and putting her back on reserve duty after she gets a reactivation test. Rei is still active, she just waits until Unit-00 is fully repaired. Until that happens, you two get some time off. She should be getting discharged from medical, right now, so this is the perfect opportunity to take a mini-vacation with your beautiful girlfriend!"

"MISATO!"

* * *

= Is lashing out and creating pain seriously the only thing I ever do? I've never had a friendly conversation with Shinji or Wondergirl...I insult and attack them both...I guess I can see why he wants nothing to do with me. Every time he did something nice, I interpreted it as him being a sleazy pervert; Rei just blushes and acts appreciative...no wonder he chose her. =

Asuka slowly drifted through the hospital's discharge area. The counselors she had been assigned to had done good work influencing Asuka to confront her hostility as opposed to being a victim of it. The questions they asked her were so simple that the answers were obvious and embarrassing when they asked her.

= "Asuka, why are Shinji and Rei your enemies?"

"They're so good in the Eva, without even trying!"

"Then it doesn't work out very well for the Angels, does it? Why does it bother _you_?"

"I don't need them to fight!"

"So what, then? Are you saying that you're an individual?"

"YES!"

"This is a military organization, Asuka. We don't have space for 'individuals'. You are part of a team, with Shinji and Rei as your squadmates. You don't have to like them, but will not be allowed to mistreat them and continue piloting."

"You wouldn't dare take Unit-02 from me!"

"If you are unwilling to fight alongside them, you will have to be replaced. The animosity you show them has no place in the squadron."

"They have it so good! Shinji's dad is the Commander! Hell, the Commander has standing orders telling the entire base to answer Rei's every beck and call! I had nothing like that! I had to watch as my family collapsed! My father went with another woman and my real mom killed herself! I hate them!"

"So? Why do you even care about their lives? Your jealousy is making you weak, Asuka. You know that you can't take your hatred out on your parents, so you attack Shinji and Rei. If you need to blame somebody for your past, why not blame the people who left you behind?"

"Because I love my mother! And my father, too!"

"That doesn't mean that they aren't responsible for what's happened to you. Shinji and Rei haven't done anything to make your life harder or worse; your parents did it for them."

"...Do you just expect me to start being best friends with those two?"

"No, we expect you to have some civility and cooperate with them, nothing more."

"...If I can bring myself to that point, when do I get Unit-02 back?"

"You will have a reactivation test after this session ends." =

"They're only letting me do this if I promise to be nice to Wondergirl." The thought repulsed her, but it meant she was going to be at the controls of an Eva, again. She made her way to the locker rooms and started dressing in her plugsuit. = What pervert designed these things, anyway? They don't leave a single curve to the imagination! =

* * *

"Do you come here often, Shinji?" He brought Rei to the highway overlook outside of Tokyo-3, and they were seated on the grass together as they watched the panorama of the city.

He thought of the times he came out here before. "I do whenever I need to think. Misato first brought me out here after Unit-01 beat the Fourth Angel. I came back after Misato chewed me out when the Fifth attacked. And then a third time after I fought Touji and Asuka."

"Why would Colonel Katsuragi attack you? You eliminated the Angel, correct?"

"She accused me of being reckless and disobedient. She was right, of course, but she failed to realize that I _won_. We had a falling out and I left for a few days. That was back before you and I had even really met..."

"What made you decide to return to NERV, then?"

"I didn't have much choice. I couldn't make it to my old Sensei's home, so I came back, destroyed Misato's argument, and started trying to get to know you."

"You mean you stumbled into my apartment while I was showering."

"I've been trying not to think about that, Rei! I'll have you know that I haven't done anything to make myself look like as much of an idiot since then."

"I know that, but I enjoy watching your melodramatic overreactions to the embarrassing coincidences you find yourself involved in."

"It's easier to just say that it's fun to make jokes at my expense."

"Am I speaking too intelligently for you, Shinji?" She answered, with upturned lips and one raised eyebrow.

"Rei...was that...sarcasm...?"

Rei climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Shinji tried- and failed -to act cool and collected; Rei watched his face panic and felt his heart racing. She leaned her ear against his chest, listening closely before answering him seriously.

"I am socially isolated, Shinji, not stupid. I understand humor, satire, and wit."

"But, hearing it from you is kind of shocking..."

"I was never allowed to talk to other people with any variety. Commander Ikari did not want me building relationships, I was only to pilot Unit-00 and provide dummy-plug research. When we started regularly spending time together, I decided to reject those orders, but I still need experience in social situations."

He got his composure and held her at her waist. "That only makes me hate my dad even more."

"Spending time with you has shown me that I cannot hate the Commander, despite the things that he has done to me. I pity him, and I pity his desperation. I do not feel hatred for anyone, be it the Commander, Soryu, or Dr. Akagi."

"What is it that Ritsuko doesn't like about you, anyway?"

"She sees me as competition for Commander Ikari's affection. I say she can have it."

"So that rumor about the affair-"

"It is true, Shinji, and Dr. Akagi must be in denial that people already know about it."

"Dr. Akagi really is screwed up if she's chasing the Bastard. There's an image that I'll never bleach out of my head."

"What made you bring me with you, today?"

"Um, well, Misato told me since we're going on standby to take you out-"

"So you are only spending time with me because you were ordered to?"

"Rei! I'm sorry! Of course I wanted to spend my time with you, I just didn't know where-" He saw that she was smirking up at him. "Wait, you aren't upset. You're making fun of me again!"

"It is good to see that you learn quickly, Shinji. I am perfectly content doing whatever you want while we are inactive."

"We pretty much have an entire week, at least, until Unit-00 is back online, is there anything you would want to do?"

"Is it not the boyfriend's responsibility to be aware of the girlfriend's interests?"

"...You pilot a giant robot, train harder than I do, you read subjects that I can't comprehend, and listen to classical music. I know more about you than I do myself, Rei, but none of those are particularly good subjects for a date."

"What would you do, Shinji?"

"I don't know...there really isn't anything that I'm interested in..."

Rei slid away from Shinji and hardened her face. "...I suppose you really do know me better than you know yourself. That disappoints me, Shinij. You say that you have no interests, but you are a gourmet chef, a skillful musician, you practice two martial arts while I only train in one, you are capable of matching wits with me and Soryu, and you are currently NERV's greatest pilot. You appear to be something of a renaissance man, Shinji, yet you think so lowly of yourself. You crave praise and appreciation yet you reject it when it is given to you...why?"

"I don't reject praise, Rei, what gave you that idea?"

"You were officially commended by the German State Department, and you ignored their documents." She produced a medal from her bag and leaned over to pin it on Shinji's shirt. "You left their award in my apartment after you resigned from NERV. You would not even accept gratitude for defending Pilot Soryu's life. I admire your humility, Shinji, but your adamant refusal to see the good that you do for others is either selfishness or cowardice, and I will not allow you to continue with either. You are brave, Shinji, in the Eva Unit and outside of it. You are kind, and you are talented in multiple artforms. But, for reasons that I am not aware of, you continue to act as if these are negative traits; this disgusting self-loathing that you cannot seem to overcome will consume you, Shinji-"

She was cut off of her analysis and deconstruction of Shinji's warped self-image by a pair of lips encircling her own.

He pulled away quickly and stuttered out an apology. "Rei! I'...I'm sorry I didn't...m-mean to-"

"If you didn't mean to, then why did you do it?"

"...Because nobody has ever dressed me down like that while still defending my name. I know that I'm not a complete loser, but I've never been shown what I'm good at, before...I tend to just think that I do enough to get by with..."

"You do more than what is needed for many individuals every day, Shinji. You give more and ask for less. I have always wanted Commander Ikari's approval because it made me feel valued and valuable. Now I know that I should only want to earn the approval of people that I myself already value. It was you that made me realize that I needed to raise my standards by which people should be viewed, because you continue to exceed them. Shinji?"

"Uh y-yeah...Rei?" He answered when he remembered how to speak.

She climbed back onto his lap and leaned against his chest. "Kiss me again. This time, do not let your fear break through you."

He brought his eyes up to hers. = They're such a beautiful shade of red. = She was the first girl he had ever been on a date with. He had no idea what he was doing. Neither did she, but that thought never revealed itself to him. He leaned in to her face, twisted slightly so their lips would couple together, and followed the instincts he didn't know he had.

* * *

"The activation test had to be delayed? Why?"

"Asuka, somebody switched the core for Unit-02 while we weren't looking. It was either a really dirty prank or somebody tried to reassign it without Germany's approval. It might be the result of the unauthorized activation while you were in treatment. Your core is in LCL storage, so it isn't an instance of theft, but you have to sit tight before we can get you back on duty."

"Are you telling me that you people let somebody tamper with MY Unit-02!?"

"We didn't 'let' anybody do anything. The unknown pilot masterfully forged an IPEA core change form, took Unit-02, locked NERV's command bridge from communication, and fought the Fourteenth Angel. Said pilot then ejected and hasn't been found. You go ahead and get to the entry plug catwalk; we'll hold you there until the core swap is complete."

* * *

"Gentlemen of the United Nations Security Council, good afternoon. In addition to my personal appearance, today, I have submitted: Photographic evidence of the combat scenario, video recordings taken by Japanese and Private military forces, written statements from on-scene individuals, and postmortem opinions from tactical and scientific experts. The events during the previous weeks' combat with the Fourteenth Angel has left the NERV organization's combat capabilities crippled until their facilities and Evangelion Units can be repaired and the pilots are cleared from medical treatment-"

"It was Ikari's incompetence that left NERV a smoking crater!" Some voice amongst the delegates shouted to Kaji, at the speaker's podium.

"If incompetence were at fault, Mr. Representative, then NERV would have been completely destroyed and everybody in this room would be dead. If I may continue; the adversary that they faced that day was the Fourteenth incarnation of the extraterrestrial beings known as Angels. They focus their attacks on Tokyo-3 to reach a dead member of their race, buried miles underground. If they were to reach this point, the being would resurrect and, this is not an extrapolation, destroy every living organism on this planet. NERV has been successfully repelling the invaders since the Fourth Angel arrived in the Sea of Japan-"

"If this 'dead Angel' is such a tempting target, why not get rid of it?"

"It's not exactly easy to kill something that's already dead, is it? NERV's purpose is to prevent the resurrection of the Second Angel, a role that they perform admirably."

"And they sent you out here to ask for what, Money?"

"Time, actually, and maybe some gratitude. NERV's current budget allows them to repair Units 00 and 02, but they do need the support to repair their facilities and infrastructure."

"And what of the mysterious 'Unit-01'?"

"This is where my report gets interesting. The Evangelion Units are synthetic, semi-sentient living weapons. Though they are incapable of high cognition- hence the need for a human pilot –they do have a native sense of self-preservation. This instinct reveals itself in the Evangelion's 'Berserk State,' where it begins fighting on its own to protect itself and its pilot. Unit-00 has gone berserk twice, both times in testing- not combat. Unit-02 has gone berserk essentially once, fighting against the Fourteenth Angel, where it was still eventually overpowered. An enraged, berserk Evangelion Unit couldn't kill it on its own. This is the example of the raw destructive power of the Fourteenth's attack. Unit-01 has had three fights where going berserk saved it. First, against the Fourth Angel after the Pilot was injured, second against the Eleventh, where it went berserk to escape a trap that the Angel set for it, and finally, against the Fourteenth, where it took the efforts of all three Evangelion Units to destroy it. Unit-01 went berserk to defend itself, and then shut itself down into a dormant state because it felt that the pilot inside was in danger. Said pilot was eventually released at the point that lead scientist Dr. Ritsuko Akagi estimates was the point that the Unit felt that First Lieutenant Ikari was safe and healthy."

"How long was the pilot trapped?"

"Approximately two weeks."

"Two weeks without food or water?"

"The environment inside an Eva Unit's pilot compartment is designed for life-support. He didn't need food or water."

"That's all well and good, Inspector, but how do we know that it won't happen again."

"Dr. Akagi is attempting to suppress the Evangelion's protective instincts for its pilot. Until then, Unit-01 is being taken off of combat and Units 00 and 02 are going back on after they are repaired."

* * *

"Captain Soryu, have you established life support and radio contact?"

"Yes, Doctor Akagi."

"Good then, lower the entry plug and begin monitoring pilot sync."

Ritsuko's voice called over the radio to the facility. "All personnel! Unit-02 reactivation! Repeat, Unit-02 reactivation! Begin A-10 Neural Network Connection! Detach Restraining Bolts! Attach External Power Supply!"

"Power connection complete, Unit-02 is powered on, Doctor." Hyuga confirmed.

"Pilot vitals are normal, no mental abnormalities, Doc." Aoba continued from the medical terminal.

"Doctor, we have a problem. Asuka's sync began at 30%, but it's decaying. 22% and declining!"

"Okay, Maya we aren't going to tell Asuka until we determine the cause, understand?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"DR. AKAGI! All connections have crashed! Power is off, radio and A-10 net connections are down!" Hyuga shouted the sudden development.

"He's right!" Maya continued. "Pilot sync just crashed to 0%! Asuka's just sitting in there!"

"Remove the plug! Manually if you have to! Get Asuka out of there!" = What the hell is happening to her? =

Misato, Ritsuko, and a team of medics rushed to the opened plug to see Askua shivering in a fetal position at the controls, whispering to herself. "it rejected me. it doesn't want me. it doesn't need me. why doesn't anybody need me?" Misato climbed to her side in the plug but was slapped away when she tried to hold her.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE MISATO!" Asuka broke down, loudly crying.

Misato moved back to Ritsko. "What do we do about this?"

"She'll have to go under another mental examination then be put under surveillance. She has no physical injuries, and no mental conditions that we've been able to uncover. If she has a clean exam we'll send her home with you, but Section 2 will be watching her 24/7."

"Damn. She went through so much to get back in Unit-02...I'm sorry, Asuka." She looked down at the broken girl in the entry plug.

* * *

"Ryouji, I must say, you did an excellent job!"

"Well, lying is exactly what I do best. The good news is that the report is just close enough to the truth for the old men to buy it."

The pair were getting a light lunch at a cafe outside of The Hague Center for Justice when they saw a handcuffed man being led into the building. They both recognized the gray hair and brown dress jacket.

"Ryouji!" Mari interjected in a hushed tone. "That was-"

"Our Professor. The Bastards must have plucked the tired old man right from his bedroom to fly him out here. Mari, get to the rental car. Your weapon and my supplies are in the trunk. SEELE just made a huge mistake."

"Right." She ran to their nearby car and opened the suitcase in the back. She assembled the SCAR and shed the elegant business dress she wore to Kaji's presentation, revealing her plugsuit underneath. = Hey, this is the first time I've shucked my dress for a man! =

She also found Kaji's FN Five-seveN, an armor vest with holsters and ammo pouches, magazines, and several SWAT flash and smoke grenades. = There really isn't anything Ryouji can't get his hands on, is there? = She sprinted back to Kaji's location and split the toys up amongst them. Mari belted the rifle and Kaji shouldered his handgun and they followed the direction that they saw the professor being taken. Kaji dialed his phone.

"Misato, get Ritzy on the line with you...SEELE's taken the Professor hostage and they brought him to the UN Summit. Looks like they never planned on trusting my story from the beginning. Launch an attack from the MAGI on The Hague Center for Justice. We need every password broken, every door unlocked, and every camera and security turret on our side. We've seen him being taken in, and we're going to get him back."

Across the world in Tokyo-3, Ritsuko Akagi abandoned her current task of attempting to get Evangelion Unit-02 to accept its pilot and changed to using the base's supercomputer cluster to overpower the security at the European conference center.

Kaji and Mari grinned when they watched fire alarms go off and emergency doors open at the building. Having the world's most powerful military supercomputer on you side can make your day much easier. They sprinted in as Misato returned Kaji's call.

"Kaji, the building has four basement levels with conference rooms that can be quickly repurposed for interrogations. The building has armed security; mostly vested guards with sidearms, they can handle robberies or bar fights, not much worse. The MAGI's attack has caused their security systems to go haywire, the guards are split up between trying to restore the systems and looking for intruders. When you get inside the building, find a staircase and go down!"

"Great, have Ritsuko keep causing chaos down here."

He and Mari sprinted to the nearest fire stairwell and moved down. They ran into the first basement floor and found a cubicle farm full of panicked and soaking wet employees, fire sprinklers going off above their heads. Mari snuck into a corner office and grabbed a sportcoated middle-manager around the neck.

"Hi, I'm a crazy sixteen year old girl. If you don't answer me, I'll make this really hurt! A bunch of UN pricks just brought a friend of mine down here to interrogate him. Where might they take him?"

The terrified manager saw the rifle on a sling on her back and decided to answer as best as he could. "We-we have, uh, soundproofed offices on the third basement floor! If I wanted to hurt somebody, I'd use one of those!"

"Oh, why thank you!" She smiled sweetly before hugging the confused and terrified man then turning around and running back to the staircase.

* * *

"So, ever been part of a hostile takeover, before?" Kaji was chatting up an attractive secretary while Mari handled her little question and answer session.

"Ryouji, would you stop being distracted by her legs and get going! Fuyutsuki's probably being held on the third basement level! We need to get there, NOW!"

"Fine! You're even needier than Asuka was, Mari."

They skipped down two floors in the emergency staircase and were welcomed by a squad of JSDF special forces in the third sublevel.

"I think we found the place!" Mari shouted as they jumped away from gunfire. The JSDF forces were well-armed, but they could still be blinded by the light. Kaji tossed a flash grenade and Mari started shooting, the SCAR's heavy, armor-piercing rounds not bothered by the vested soldiers. Kaji moved forward with Mari's powerful weapon covering him. He stepped into each room, handgun raised as he swept them for life, until he reached one office at the end of the hallway. He felt the door locked, so he put several rounds into the door hinges and kicked it away, only to take a shot from a revolver into his vest. He was knocked flat onto his back as the UN interrogator left the Professor's side and walked up to Kaji's disoriented form and lowered his weapon to stop the rescue attempt.

A shot flew across the corridor and the interrogator collapsed.

Mari walked up and started berating Kaji, who was stretching and getting to his feet. "Really, Ryouji! How old are you getting! I can't believe that you of all people let yourself get shot! We were here to help the professor, not to drag your dead ass out of here!"

"Yeah, next time you get to breach the door, Mari. How are you doing, Professor?"

"SEELE isn't going to like seeing their errand boy jumping sides, Inspector."

"It won't be the first time I've pissed off my bosses, old man. You injured?"

I'm fine, really. You saw me before they could get any questions in. Thank you both. Your lovely friend is the surviving Unit-05 pilot, isn't she?"

"Pleased to meet you, old man. Mari Illustrious. We need to get back to the airport as fast as we can." They shook hands before making themselves scarce.

* * *

Low Income Housing, Tokyo-3

"I enjoyed our first date, Shinji. Your special place was welcoming."

"Thank you, Rei. Have I earned a second?" He asked as he walked her up to her apartment.

"Would it be humorous if I invented some arbitrary reason to string you along for months and years?"

"...You've been talking to Misato behind my back, haven't you?"

"I have. I believe that we can continue dating. Ask me again, soon." She stretched up and kissed him lightly as she returned home, leaving him stunned and dumbly smiling before making the trip back to Misato's.

= I can get used to that. =

* * *

When he made it back to Misato's apartment, he found her crying in Asuka's room.

"Misato! What's wrong?!"

"Asuka...she left!...she...angrily quit...ran away." Misato answered between sobs. "The mental attack...destroyed her ability to sync...she left after...her failed reactivation test!"

"Misato!" Shinji hugged her and helped her to her feet. "Where did she go?"

"The Horaki family has her, right now. I guess that she'll be okay there, but...god, Shinji I love Asuka too! I don't want her gone-"

Misato's phone rang, Shinji answered. "Kaji?"

"Key kiddo, Misato around?"

"Well...yes, but she isn't doing too good."

"Put me on speaker...Misato, have a security detail sent to NERV's air base. Mari and I got him! We have the professor. Listen, when we arrive, come see me there...I have an important question that only you can answer."

"...Kaji...It's no good..."

"What do you mean?"

"Asuka...she left after she failed a test in Unit-02-"

"Do you have teams searching for her-"

"I have a message from a friend of hers. She's not hurt or anything."

"I'll find her and talk to her when we get here. Meanwhile, rest. I couldn't have done this without you and Ritzy."

* * *

A/N: So i decided to mix up things for the 'Kaji saves Fuyutsuki' arc (Mari is a badass) and the 'Asuka can't sync' arc.


	26. Chapter 25: Talk to an Angel

Answers:  
Dude: That was a good debate we had, Thanks  
Fanus: I love the stuff you write, I really do  
Kaiser: You're welcome  
Anon: Misato is a lot more emotional and fragile than you realize

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 25: Talk to an Angel

* * *

"I'm not interested in any strange men appearing at my apartment door."

"Trust me, I'm not strange. Ryouji Kaji. UN." He held his NERV ID up for Hikari's older sister to skeptically examine. "One of our own decided to skip work for a few days and she ended up here-"

"Asuka?"

"The redheaded stepchild of NERV herself."

"She's upstairs. She's just been staying in my sister's room for a while now, hasn't had the decency to socialize."

"I'm going to try to solve that. May I come in, I need to see her home." He flashed a handsome smile as she welcomed him in.

=That jawline, those shoulders...No! You've never even seen him before! =

* * *

"Asuka..."

"I'm not trying to be a burden, Hikari. I just need to get away from NERV."

"You aren't burdensome, but abusing my Genesis isn't going to help you." Hikari deadpanned. Asuka threw the classic console's gamepad to the side as Tails got in Sonic's way again and Asuka lost about 100 rings.

"I don't need help. I just need to get away for a while."

"You never told me why you came here."

"It's about my pilot status. Anything more than that is classified-"

"Because of her recent medical treatment, Miss Horaki, Asuka is having critically low synchronization with her Eva Unit." A tall, ponytailed man walked into Hikari's room. "Asuka, I don't particurlarly care if you're not in the condition to pilot, right now. Neither do Misato or Shinji. We just want you back home."

Asuka's eyes softened when she saw her handsome guardian come to pick her up, but she steeled them and turned her nose up and away.

"I'm not going back there!"

"All right, that's fine by me. I'll have to start the paperwork to rescind your commission. Your rank and pay are eliminated and you get mailed back to Germany."

"Kaji! You wouldn't-"

"No, I wouldn't. But NERV will, and I don't see any reason for them not to. While you're disabled you _were_ going to continue receiving your pay and privileges, but if you decide to run away, then you're getting cut by the higher-ups."

"Kaji, you're holding me hostage!"

"No, NERV's holding your paycheck hostage. I honestly don't understand why you see it as a negative. I would kill for several weeks' paid vacation."

"Because it's not a vacation! It's me sitting on my ass at NERV's HQ and not being allowed to do anything."

"You still attend school. You go to the pool, the Tokyo-3 malls, whatever the hell teen kids do nowadays, I don't care enough to keep up. You wouldn't just be sitting in a lab somewhere. Hell, you're visiting Hikari right now...Actually, while I'm here Hikari, I can get you a pass to see Touji again, if you want to visit him."

"Really!? When?"

"Right now, if Asuka has the stones to show her face at HQ."

"IS THAT A CHALLENGE!?"

"Yes."

"You idiots think I'm too scared to go to work, don't you! Come on, Hikari, we're making an appearance!" Asuka grabbed her wrist and stomped out the door.

=Works every time...= Kaji knew how to manipulate Asuka, 6 years of care taught him all the right buttons to push.

* * *

Shinji found out that Touji had recovered enough to leave his hospital room and go out in a wheelchair. He ran out of the locker rooms, never showing up for the latest sync test, to catch him.

"Touji, I'm sorry-"

"Shinji, Shut Up. I don't care if I'm in a wheelchair. I'm just happy to get out of that room."

"Alright, but-" Shinji offered to help.

"I'm pushing myself. My arms still work, thank you!"

"Okay, okay, where do you want to go?"

"The gym, where else? I've got free throws to practice! If you think that I'm going to let my perfect shot go to waste-"

"Yes, yes, your basketball stats are the most important thing about you right now."

"You're damn right, they are! If my numbers aren't perfect in time for the 2020 Paralympic team, I wont have a chance to get in!"

"Touji...are you-"

"What? Moving on with my life? Making something of myself? Shinji I'm hurt, not dead. If I'm considered long-term disabled, then I'm gonna kick ass from a wheelchair!"

= Touji isn't gone...I guess things are starting to get better after all... = Shinji thought to himself.

"Hey, Earth to Ikari! Stop being the moodiest teenage guy on the planet and let's go!"

* * *

"I knew for a fact that I'd find you in here." Kaji brought two girls with him into the NERV fitness center. Shinji and Touji were on the free throw line at the basketball courts when they heard Kaji's voice from the door.

"Hey, you're that UN Inspector Misato hooked up with, right?"

"Yeah, I certainly am. I brought a friend of yours to work today." Hikari darted from Kaji's side and ran to Touji's seated form. They awkwardly hugged as best as they could, considering Touji was now shorter than Hikari.

"You two are even more disgusting than Idiot and Wondergirl."

"And you're jealous that we can get a date, Asuka." Touji mocked.

"JEALOUS!?" Asuka steamed, red faced in embarrassment. "There's nobody in Japan worthy of Asuka Langley Soryu's company!"

"Nobody in Japan would want it."

"Wow, princess, Touji here is making you look bad from a wheelchair!" Mari snuck in behind Kaji, quickly hijacking the conversation. "Why not just chillax for a while?"

"Who the hell are you to tell me to 'chillax'!?"

"Well...I blew up a chunk of Russia, took your Unit-02 for a joyride, and saved the Sub-Commander's life. What have you done, today?"

"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HIJACKED UNIT-02!?"

"Actually, the term would be 'helped save the planet,' but yes."

"You girls want to settle it on the court?"

"No, Stooge, I'm not going to justify your childish game."

"Well, heck, I'll play you, Touji!" Mari chirped, bubbly as she always is. "Come on, Hikari! I say boys vs girls! Ryouji, go find us three more wheelchairs!"

"...Thanks, you three..." Touji quietly offered his appreciation, Shinji, Hikari, and this girl he just met were playing on a level field with him.

* * *

"Rei, you're the one most likely to know where Shinji is, any ideas?" Misato asked from the test control room.

"He heard someone mention that Pilot Suzuhara was no longer bedridden; he ran out of the entry cages, still in his plugsuit. I would assume he went to medical to see him." She answered, looking up from the controls mid-sync.

"...I'll chew him out later, I guess. If Touji is recovering, I don't have the heart to be mad at him."

"You've been at a 70% sync for a while, now, Rei. Concentrate. You need to go deeper." Ritsuko analyzed, her voice cold.

"I will try." Rei cleared her mind and focused. She felt herself growing closer to Unit-00.

* * *

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: And what authority do you think you had to throw away the Lance of Longinus?

"The authority to eliminate the Angel at the range that it was attacking us from. It was invulnerable to the Positron Cannon, only the most powerful weapon we humans ever built. This Thirteenth Angel, the Bird of Light, was more powerful than the Sixth, which did fall to it. The Second Child's psychological status is proof of the Thirteenth's power."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: The Third Child was reported to be unaffected by the Thirteenth Angel.

"It would appear that the Angel used a form of psychic communication as its attack. Captain Soryu fell victim to frightening and hurtful memories that the Angel uncovered. First Lieutenant Ikari instead began to verbally debate the Angel, agreeing with the topics that it revealed, then rebutting them. It was apparently an effective method of mental defense."

SEELE-02 SOUND ONLY: I believe your statements, but your choice to decommission Unit-01, leaving only one active Evangelion Unit, was a poor choice to make.

"Unit-01 can still be reactivated, is simply under investigation regarding its previous berserk state. As for poor choices, kidnapping a harmless individual like Fuyutsuki will be met with extreme retaliation, as evidenced by Inspector Kaji's heroic actions. You will not be able to use him as a tool any longer. His allegiance lies with those who do not rely on petty crime and subterfuge to achieve their goals. If you wish to investigate NERV, you will do so through official channels. Kidnapping a 70 year old man is embarrassing."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: It was done to expose your treachery, Ikari.

"And it has only proven that NERV protects its own."

Sirens blared throughout NERV's facilities.

"It would appear that NERV is needed to defend the Earth once more, gentlemen." Gendo left the humiliated leaders to grumble to themselves.

* * *

Shinji and Touji had realized that Hikari was a much better 3-Point Shot than her normal 'busy student' persona let on. She and the _very_ athletic Mari were roundly beating the two boys on the court as the Angel warning sounded.

"Do you two have any idea how lucky you are that Shinji has to go to work? I guess we have to leave you to lick your wounds for a while!" Hikari was flashing a terrifying grin to Touji who learned not to underestimate his girlfriend that day. Mari bailed out of the wheelchair she was playing from and ran over to Shinji, squeezing him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Go win out there, Puppy Boy!" He stumbled around, dazed for a moment, then ran to the Eva bays as Kaji approached Asuka on the bleachers.

"You're needed in the hangars, too, Asuka."

"No I'm not! I'm not worth anything-"

"I don't care what your sync number is. You and Unit-02 are a team, you go there and you win! That's what Asuka does! This moping around and _feeling_ worthless is going to _make_ you worthless. Even if you aren't in the condition to fight, you need to get to Unit-02 and try. Touji was nearly killed in Unit-03, but he hasn't given up on life, are you going to let him outdo you?"

"No. I'm not." Asuka stood and proudly walked to the locker rooms to get her plugsuit.

* * *

They found a ring of two interlocked helixes rotating above Goura Railway Station. It was stationary, not approaching the center of Tokyo-3. Unit-00 was already prepped for launch and broke through the upper limit of the city and took point on a hillside a distance from the suspected Angel.

"We don't know anything about it, Rei." Misato announced over the radio. "Just hold steady there and continue feeding us video and sound."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Rei doesn't need to be fighting alone!" Shinji suddenly appeared on a video monitor from Unit-01's cage. "Send Unit-01 out already! We can handle it!"

"Unit-01 is still considered too unstable to launch. You'll only be going out if the emergency need arises."

= This is stupid and wrong! They have no idea! Unit-01 isn't unstable, Mom only wants to protect me- =

He heard Maya's analysis from the MAGI. She reported that the Blue Match was created. This thing was the Fifteenth Angel.

"Rei," Misato called. " Start making your way back. We're going to let the MAGI handle the investigation from here on out-"

"No! It's coming..." Rei sensed and whispered over the radio.

The twin helixes merged into one thread and split the ring. It snaked down from the sky and speared Unit-00 through its AT Field. Rei cried out as she felt pain and pressure in her abdomen.

"WHAT THE HELL IS UNIT-00 DOING?" Misato yelled over the bridge crew.

"We don't know!" Hyuga shouted in realization. "Its AT Field is still up, but the Angel punched right through it!"

"We've got a medical reading!" Aoba announced. "The Angel is absorbing the muscle and nerve mass of Unit-00 and replacing it with its own! It's almost like the Angel and Unit-00 are...becoming one somehow?..." He announced in realization.

Rei cringed. The pain had been replaced by pressure and heat. She felt as if she were being...invaded. She grabbed the Angel's long, shaft-like body and attempted to tear it away while firing her rifle into it, the rounds simply shattering and sparking away from it.

"Is Asuka at Unit-02 yet!?"

"Ma'am, her entry plug is being inserted as we speak!"

"Then launch her out! Move up close and unload into that bastard! Take some of that heat off Rei!"

Unit-02 slid up the launch rails, unlocked from the elevator and...froze.

"ASUKA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"I...can't...It's not responding! It won't...even...move..." She said, her voice broken, while trying to engage the controls.

Hyuga read the synchronization estimation. "Asuka's sync is somewhere around 10%! She has sensory perception but not much else!"

"...Then bring Unit-02 back. We won't have Asuka in danger for nothing. START MELTING THE BAKELITE ON UNIT-01!"

Techs in the cages began applying solvents to the purple epoxy compound currently covering Unit-01's body while Shinji climbed into the entry plug. = Yeah, I'd call this an 'emergency need,' Misato. If Rei is harmed while I'm stuck down here I might have to knock down the pyramid again!...I'm coming Rei, please hold on, for me. =

"Target's penetration of Unit-00 is unchecked! More than 5% of Unit-00's biomass is now the Angel's flesh!" Ritsuko was reading the Magi's analysis of the attack. She genuinely feared for Rei's safety. = This isn't even theoretically possible! What the hell is happening to her!? =

"How much longer until this purple shit is gone?!" Shinji growled over the radio. He has really had enough of the stupid decisions NERV's leadership repeatedly make.

Rei gasped. She no longer felt pain. She felt as if her body was being...taken. The Angel continued to burrow into Unit-00's flesh and into Rei's mind. Fractal veins formed and branched through the flesh of the pilot and her weapon. Rei's mind became clouded...she saw...herself?

"Who...is this?..."

= In the Eva...I sense somebody other than myself is here, as well... =

"Who...are you?" The voice was female, but distorted and alien.

= ...The Angel? Are you one of the beings we call the 'Angels'? = Rei looked down and saw her own feet levitating a few centimeters above a sea of LCL, not unlike the lake below Lillith's prison. She looked forward and saw a perfect copy of herself, standing waist-deep in the alien liquid.

"Do you want to become one with me?"

= No. I am myself. I am unwilling to merge with another being. =

"I sense within your mind. You have lied to me. You are willing to merge with another being."

= You speak of my created purpose. I have now found a purpose of my own. To merge with the being of my creation will only create pain. I now understand. I do not wish to create pain. =

"Pain? I know of pain. Let me share my pain with you. Do you recognize this pain?"

= This pain you share. It is Loneliness. =

"Loneliness?"

= Yes. Loneliness. =

"You are the one that is alone, aren't you. We were not alone, until those that created you began to destroy us. You are alone amongst those that created you."

Rei had learned, from Shinji, that happiness could be found by anyone, including her. = I am alone no longer. =

"Loneliness and fear fills your soul. I can feel it. You know that the one you claim to have overcome your Loneliness fears you, you know that the one you claim to have overcome your Loneliness knows nothing of your purpose, you know that the one you claim to have overcome your Loneliness knows _absolutely_ nothing of your origins; yet you do. What do you think he will do to you when he learns the truth of your origins? Your creators see us as abominations. You are the greatest example of your creators' hubris and ignorance." The Angel's perfect mimicry of Rei's face twisted into a disgusting smile.

Rei was snapped back into the real world when she felt wet droplets hit her thighs. = The LCL is supposed to be vaporized- =

"Tears...these are...my tears?" Rei, a teen girl, had never cried before. "Am I the one who is...crying?" She never had anything of value before, so she had never felt loss, before. Now, the Angel attacked her new emotions with feelings of the loss of Shinji, the one who had awakened those emotions within her.

* * *

"What is Unit-01's status?" Commander Ikari's voice overtook all other sounds in the bridge.

"Commander, it's out of the bakelite. We can launch when you give us permission." Ritsuko answered from her terminal.

"Launch it immediately!"

"Shinji! Raise your field to its max and get Rei out of there!"

This is the second time Shinji saw someone he cared about being mentally attacked by an Angel. As Unit-01 broke loose from the elevator's restraints, Shinji found an alternative course of action. He forced Unit-01 to blow the power coupling and concentrated, diving the plug deep in the LCL and artificially increasing his sync to Unit-01.

"DR. AKAGI!" Maya screamed, terrified at the implications of Shinji's actions. "He's operating in isolated mode, again! We can't disconnect him! He's just forced his sync to 320% and...He's holding it there! I don't know what he's doing!"

"I do, Maya, he's learned to use the power source he absorbed from the Fourteenth Angel. There's nothing we can do to hold him back, now. Everybody pray that Shinji is of sound mind, otherwise he is going to kill us all."

* * *

Shinji found himself drifting in Unit-01's LCL, right where he hoped to be.

"Mom! Where are you!? I need your help!"

"I'm right here, Shinji. I'm surprised you were able to come back here on your own."

"Rei's in danger! Just like the Angel that attacked Asuka, it's attacking her mind! I can't fight against a psychic attack, I don't know what to do! I need your help!"

"Shinji, you _can_ fight against a psychic attack. You've done it once before; you just need a little more power this time. Look outside."

He complied, and watched as Yui blew the chestplate off of Unit-01, exposing the glowing red core underneath. "I'll tell you what to do when we're ready. For now, get back to the controls, your girlfriend needs you."

Shinji rematerialized at Unit-01's controls and forced the monstrosity to run towards Unit-00 and Rei. The Angel's free tail sensed him and whipped towards Unit-01, only to be caught in the Eva's hands. Fractaling veins appeared in Unit-01's arms and Shinji felt the pain of infection.

= Come on, Mom! Any time, now... =

"SHINJI!" Misato's voice broke through the radio. "What the hell were you doing!?"

"Tactics." He answered. "I needed some time to think."

"Well here's a solution for you! Use your knife and stab the damn thing!"

"Right!" He ejected the knife from his shoulder holster and stabbed it into the section of the Angel's body in his hands. An ear-splitting scream erupted from Unit-00. Shinji realized that Rei would feel anything that he did to the Angel. The Angel spoke to Shinji's mind through the infection.

"Please, Ikari! Don't hurt us! It hurts! It hurts, Ikari!" The body of the Angel reformed into another mirror image of Rei, shaped from the waist-up and moving to kiss Unit-01's faceplate. "Isn't this what you want from us? Become one with us, Ikari!"

Rei, in Unit-00, heard and felt everything the Angel thought and said to him, and came to a realization. "Is this what my heart and soul desires? To become one with Ikari?...No, this is not what I want. I do not want him to come to harm! You will not harm him!" She opened a panel in Unit-00 and pulled the handle it uncovered.

"Rei!" Misato's voice came over the radio. " Don't you do it!"

"It is the only way to protect Shinji." The Angel began to retract inside Unit-00's body.

"THEN EJECT, DAMMIT!"

"No, if I leave Unit-00, the AT Field will collapse, and the Angel will escape."

* * *

Shinji was coming to his own realization.

"Isn't this what you want from us? Become one with us, Ikari!"

= Wait...My core is exposed...The Angel is attacking the body of Unit-00. Unit-01 has absorbed an Angel through its core, before...Thanks, Mom. =

"Ohh, I'll 'Become One' with you, alright!"

Shinji grabbed the Angel's mockery of Rei before it could be drawn away, and crushed it against the exposed core. It glowed bright red and began absorbing the Angel's body away as well. The two Evangelion Units began a sick game of tug-of-war, each trying to draw the Angel's body into itself. Shinji dove and forced himself back to that perfect sync, 320%. He had learned that he could sync to that point and merge with Unit-01, then return to form at will.

"The AT Field has stopped drawing the Angel...Why?" Rei realized that the Angel was stretched to a hair's width between the Units. "What is Shinji doing?"

She found herself floating above the sea of LCL again. The Angel was there, still wading in the LCL in front of her, staring in shock at Shinji's form, floating before her.

"I'm going to use my powers of deduction here and say that you're the bitch responsible for Rei feeling hurt." He said to the Angel, his voice seething. "You don't deserve to even think about her, much less copy her shape and face!" Rei could sense the power of Unit-01's living core inside him. "People that hurt Rei tend to end up eviscerated by Unit-01. Want to add to that tradition?"

"You are the one that she spoke of. Tell me, do you know the truth?" The Angel answered him, smiling frighteningly at him, but Shinji wouldn't buy it.

"What truth? I know that you're attacking her right now! That's a truth for you!"

"Then you do not. Let me show you what she knows is true."

Shinji and Rei realized that they were suddenly feeling each other's thoughts, minds, and souls. They saw each other's past. Rei, in Unit-00, cried out in fear: Shinji would see the parts of her that she hated. Unit-00 and 01 were held in a stalemate, Unit-00 not able to draw the Angel in and self-destruct because of Unit-01's pull. Shinji would know of her history. He would be disgusted by her.

She became distracted, not by that fear, but by a torrent of memories filling her head.

She saw Yui Ikari, being lowered into Unit-01 and vanishing, then being found by Shinji 12 years later after he destroyed the Fourteenth Angel; saw the happiness and love his mother had for Shinji when they were reunited, even only in spirit inside Unit-01.

She saw Shinji cradling her in his arms when the Fourth Angel attacked the base and shook her off the hospital bed.  
= Shinji...you cared for me even then? =

She saw Shinji's father leaving him at three years old and felt loathing for the man she once worshiped. She saw Shinji's comfortable childhood at the hands of his Sensei and realized that he was allowed to grow into a truly good, caring, and selfless person in his corrupt father's absence.

She saw Shinji's embarrassment at stumbling into her nude form while she walked out of her bathroom.  
= He has seen all of me...I want to see him like that as well...Are my thoughts...distasteful? =

She saw Shinji's fear for her when he helped her out of Unit-00 after the Sixth Angel burned it to a crisp.  
= He asked me to smile...He does not need to ask, anymore. =

She saw Shinji's infatuation with her whenever he was around her, be it at her apartment doing her housework for her, showing off his cooking and cello skills, ogling her while she was wearing her plugsuit or swimsuit, or any of the times they'd kissed since his first, futile attempt.  
= Are those actions the behavior of one that is...in love? Is that what...love...looks like? =

* * *

Shinji, on the other hand, was smoldering with rage.

He saw his father ordering Naoko Akagi to use the Artificial Evolution Laboratory's resources to grow a collection of artificial human clones from the body of the Second Angel, Lillith and from blood samples from Yui Ikari; something he realized she would not be happy with when _she_ found out that she was being cloned without consent.  
= I HATE HIM! =

He saw Rei's first clone being extracted from LCL and being raised by Gendo as a happy young girl until he manipulated her into the suicide of Naoko Akagi.  
= THAT BASTARD DID THESE THINGS. HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE SHOT, I'LL KILL HIM WITH MY BARE HANDS!=

He saw the second Rei's lifeless, accelerated growth, until the fateful activation of Unit-00, the Unit going berserk in the test chamber, crashing against the walls, firing Rei's entry plug into the ceiling and floor, and her receiving the injuries she had when he first saw her.  
= My god...Rei's body is only FOUR YEARS OLD. That bastard just kills her off and replaces her when he thinks he can't control the current one! I'LL KILL HIM! =

He saw Rei's confusion and fright when he would show her his brand of random kindness. She genuinely had no idea why he would treat her with common human decency when the Commander had treated her as a piece of equipment and conditioned her to think that that treatment was good and loving.  
= HE'S DONE NOTHING BETTER THAN BRAINWASHING HER!=

He saw her inside the LCL chamber, head in pain and memory clouded, as Ritsuko stepped up the memory backups being performed on her, another thing Rei was conditioned to accept.  
= Ritsuko better give me a damn good reason not to kill her as well. =

He saw her slowly beginning to return his affection as he explained, with logic and reason supporting him, why she deserved the kindness and friendship he offered her.  
= Has nobody ever tried to befriend her except me!? What the hell is wrong with people!?"

He heard the countdown of Unit-00, preparing to self-destruct in order to save Shinji from the Angel he was currently bonded to.

= NO! SHE'S NOT KILLING HERSELF TO SAVE ME! =

Shinji dove down once more, synchronizing as closely to Unit-01 as he could, Unit-01's eyes igniting bright red. He felt himself clawing his way down to the core of Unit-00 and turning outwards to the Angel's thread-like body. His senses became overwhelmed as he pushed through the Angel. The world around him dissolved into a kaleidoscope of blue, yellow, and green. The only constant thing he saw was the distant end of this tunnel he found himself in as Unit-01's armor burst away from it, revealing the man-made god and the glowing core in its chest.

* * *

"What's happening, Ritsuko!?" Misato asked from their place in the bridge.

"...It's tearing away the bonds of mortal humanity! Shinji is creating a divine being on Earth!"

"He's doing what!?" Misato shouted as she watched a halo of plasma and heat form above Unit-01's head. "...I've-I've seen this happen before!"

"Yes...This is the creation of a being of pure energy...the exact course of events during the Second Impact...and the killing of all life that came before it!"

She opened a channel to Unit-01's radio, if Shinji could hear it. "Shinji, stop this! There's only death and destruction with this choice!"

Only static answered her.

* * *

Shinji dove forward through the tunnel, beginning to see the opening on the other side. He was able to see a window into Unit-00's entry plug. He saw Rei writhing in pain, the Angel's veins criscrossing her entire body.

"HOLD ON, REI!"

Unit-01 began to levitate, just off the ground.

"I'M COMING!"

"You shouldn't." Shinji heard her voice drifting through the merged bodies. "You should protect yourself. Leave me."

"WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO THAT?!"

"Go. If I die, there are replacements...there are replacements."

"NOT FOR LONG! YOU'RE THE REAL REI! AND I WILL (NOT) WATCH YOU DIE!"

Unit-01 began ascending to the sky as that sky grew red and dark.

Rei was repeatedly pulling the self-destruct activation, asking Unit-00 why it refused to die and end her pain. She gasped in shock as Shinji appeared before her in Unit-00's plug. He smiled and drifted up to her face.

Shinji leaned in to Rei, wrapped his arms around her, and began planting soft kisses on her cheek and neck. After a moment, he spoke to her. "Pointlessly killing youself when there's a more...interesting solution is something a doll would do. You aren't a doll, Rei."

She felt herself get snapped forwards, dragged at the speed of Shinji's will through Unit-00 and the Angel into Unit-01, where she saw an infinite blue space, and Shinji still holding her.

"Shinji, let go. I am not-"

"Not what? Normal? Sure, neither am I nor anybody who works at the insane asylum we call NERV." He started kissing her along her neck and shoulders.

"No...I am-"

"What? Based on the DNA of Lillith because my dad is enough of a fool to think he can resurrect the Second Angel and rule the world? The only- ONLY -success he ever had was creating you, and he doesn't even deserve that!" He moved to her lips and she broke away.

"No, I am based-"

"Oh yeah, my dad used my mom's DNA as well because he thinks he can resurrect her...I'll let him find out about her opinion about both those things when she comes around."

"Shinji, I feared telling you in the past, but in doing so I have lied to you...What I am is-"

"What you are is the perfect girl, Rei! They had to create you in a lab because 'normal' women are a pain in the ass. I love you, Rei. I know for a fact that I do. I love you _because_ of who you are, not despite it!"

Shinji began kissing her again, moving against her lips and splitting them open with his tongue. Tasting another person's saliva is either disgusting- if you're French kissing a stranger -or the greatest moment in a teenage boy's life, because it means that he's intimately kissing his dream girl.

Unit-01 sucked the entire body of the Angel into its core, Unit-00 dropped away from its point dangling below Unit-01, and the self-destruct vaporized a section of Tokyo-3 when it exploded. Wings of Light sprouted from Unit-01's back and a black hole opened above it, a gateway for the absorbtion of mortal life.

Ritsuko, Misato, and the bridge witnessed Unit-00's destruction, the Angel's absorption, and Unit-01's apotheosis from the command room. Ritsuko verbalized the shared opinion of the rest of the staff.

"This is the Third Impact. This is the end of the world!"

* * *

That end never came when a red spike stabbed Unit-01 and pinned it to the ground. Someone returned the Lance of Longinus from its supposed grave on the moon.

Evangelion Unit-06 finished its deorbit, coasting on its AT Field. The pilot surveyed the battlefield before him before flying to Unit-01's pinned state. He drew the Lance from its body and re-shouldered it; there was no point in leaving the ultimate weapon to waste on the ground, was there?

"Perhaps, Shinji Ikari, my Third attempt to save you will end with success. Perhaps, I can even show myself happiness, this time."

* * *

A/N: Damn I'm good!


	27. Chapter 26: Separate while Together

A/N: For those of you worried about Rebuild 3.0, I completely agree that the film was unforgivably awful, but some of the concepts in it were worth looking at.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 26: Separate while Together

* * *

Commander's Quarters. 16 Hours after Third Impact: AVERTED

"And what is your purpose, Mr. Nagisa?" Gendo Ikari asked the silver-haired young man standing in his office.

The youth answered him, with almost Victorian etiquette and verbosity. "I was previously stationed at Tabtha Base, where Unit-06 and I prepared side-by-side, good Sir. The United Nations hurried my activation and ordered me to deliver myself to you."

"Why does the UN believe we need yet another untested pilot?"

"I have not been privy to the details, but I am aware that one of your Pilots is undergoing treatment for some psychological condition, and as such, that Pilot is unable to synchronize with their Evangelion. It appears, based on this last Angel's interaction with your active Evangelion Units, that my arrival was well-timed and fortunate." = This 'King of Lillim' is enough of a fool to believe me, isn't he? I'm not certain whether I want to destroy Him or SEELE first... =

"Yes, your actions were believed to have prevented a 'Third Impact'. Your choice of execution, however, intrigues me. How did you come to wield the Lance of Longinus?"

"I am not quite certain how it arrived, but the magnificent tool buried itself near my previous home. I saw no reason not to utilize it. Imagine: the spear. Beautiful in its simplicity. Is it coincidence that every culture on Earth developed it independent of one another?"

"Yes, admire it all you want. Now, you are Kaworu Nagisa. You introduce yourself as the Fifth Child, but the Marduk Institude has yet to publish their report on you..."

"Has the Marduk not been relatively innacurate in their findings, especially concerning the Third and Fourth?"

Gendo thought on his son's newfound defiance and the Fourth Child's failed activation. "...I suppose they have. In the very least, you have proven your ability to pilot and to wield a weapon such as the Lance. You will undergo synchronization training alongside the First and Third and will be placed on active duty. If there is any justice in the world, you will be ready before the Sixteenth arrives."

"NERV has been successful against the Angels. I would be concerned about the Angels stepping up their attacks." = As if one isn't already here. = "If my introduction is complete, Commander, perhaps I could dismiss myself and become familiar with your faculities?"

"Not yet. You are needed in our review board. You are a participant in yesterday's hostilities, and you are directly responsible for preventing the Third Child from destroying essentially everything."

"You prosecute him for carrying out the orders that you demanded of him?"

"NERV will prosecute him for his decision to use excessive, unrestrained force in the execution of his orders-"

"Every prosecution will be challenged by a defense, Gendo." Fuyutsuki interrupted him, stepping out of the shadows. "If your son has not been issued a Defensive Counsel, I will be fulfilling that role."

"Professor? Why would you-"

"Because I intend to see the boy recieve a fair tribunal, if only out of gratitude for his elimination of the Angel, even if it led Unit-01 to its ascension. He deserves that much."

"I suppose there won't be any dissuading you?"

"Negative, Commander. I believe we should be overseeing the extraction of Unit-01's plug, and the inspection of Unit-00's remains."

"Yes. You are correct. Candidate Nagisa, report to the Eva Storage Bays for your synchronization training."

"Of course, Commander." = I do look forward to seeing you again, Shinji Ikari. =

* * *

Organic material, when superheated without compression or ignition, burns itself down to carbon solids. The detonation of Unit-00's Core reduced the biomass of the Unit to graphite while it melted the armor and integrated mechanics to slag. The entry plug, on the other hand, was dented and burned, but still intact. Dr. Akagi and her crew of engineers found the plug in the epicenter of the crater that Unit-00 created on the outskirts of Tokyo-3. Her crew cut into the entry plug with the orders to retrieve either a survivor, or human remains.

"Alright, boys, get it open!"

"Yes Ma'am." One tech answered and started his plasma cutter on the molten-shut door panel. He cut for fifteen uninterrupted minutes until they were able to pry the door away. Ritsuko entered the plug first and gasped in fright.

"This is classified, you hear me! None of you will ever, EVER, speak of our findings."

"Yes, Doctor."  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
"I don't even know what I'm looking at, anyway."

Unit-01 on the other hand, was laying dormant on its chest after Unit-06 extracted the Lance from its body. The core had not shut down and it's wounds healed themselves. The engineers had to work to manually extract the entry plug in the field, and when the emergency door was opened, the plug's LCL spilled out, with it one unconscious young man wearing Unit-01's plugsuit.

= That isn't Shinji! = Ritsuko thought to herself, in shock.

The unknown young man was quickly examined by the doctor, who was baffled by his smoky, brownish-blue hair, pale skin and almost feminine features, and purple eyes.

= What the hell happened in there!? =

She ordered the men to load the boy onto a stretcher, as she made a call to Commander Ikari's encrypted cell phone.

"Commander we've extracted the...Unit-01 pilot...And we have evidence from Unit-00. I am bringing the...Pilot in and the Unit-00 site has been secured and the plug inspected. You'll see what we extracted from both Units very soon, Sir."

= Just who is this boy? There's no way on earth that he can be Shinji, and inside Unit-00's plug...there's no way...it's not possible! =

* * *

Kaji and Mari walked up to the Medical bay where Misato was henpecking a nurse.

"Shinji! Our Shinji Ikari! He's short, 15 years old, brown hair, blue eyes. He'd be wearing a plugsuit. Big '01' on his back...Ring any bells?"

"I'm sorry, Colonel Katsuragi, but the boy that's been brought in doesn't match your description."

"Okay, then who is this guy?"

"Dr. Akagi did not give an identity."

"So we have a John Doe that got pulled from the Eva's landing site, two missing pilots, one less Unit, and a brand new one that literally fell from the sky! I'm going to strangle Ritsuko the next time I see her-"

"Calm down, Beautiful. You're going to give yourself a migrane." Kaji snaked an arm around her waist and she smacked it away before exploding.

"CALM DOWN!? I'll show you calm you rat bastard! I have my entire crew either in the psych ward or missing in action! We have three Eva Units and one new guy that I haven't even looked at yet! Rei is gone and if there's any chance of finding Shinji I'm going to fucking do it! If Ritsuko is hiding information about MY pilots I'll stick nails in her legs and electrocute her until they turn the power off for lack of payment on the bill!"

Kaji backed off and Mari was impressed; this woman was even more messed up than she was!

"Actually, you have two pilots."

"Wait, what?!"

"I'm Mari Illustrious. UN. I'm the Problem Child. I killed the Third Angel and fought the Fourteenth. Hell, I shot the guy torturing the Professor."

"...You're Kaji's secret weapon. He's talked about you before...How did you fight the Fourteenth?"

"I had the Eva Core that matches my personality shipped out here in cold storage, then conned a bunch of IPEA guys into swapping it into Unit-02. I'm pretty sure Ritsuko had the original one moved back in afterwards-"

"You're the beast mode girl!"

"Hell Yeah! What's this story about Puppy and Watergirl?"

"Puppy and Watergirl?"

"Third is Puppy Boy because he's so cute and cuddly! First is Watergirl because she has that pretty blue hair."

"...Right. What's Asuka?"

"She's 'Princess' because she's kind of a bitch."

Misato giggled and then looked like she was about to come to tears."I don't know...Shinji's listed as MIA because Ritsuko says he wasn't pulled from Unit-01. Rei...we fear the worst."

Kaji cut in. "Misato...I'm sorry, about both of them. I know that you-"

"Now isn't the time. We have to keep two pilots ready to defend. Mari, you and this new guy are getting synch tests, pronto!"

"Awesome!"

* * *

His eyes fluttered open and saw the ceiling, he tried to sit up in the bed and found that he was handcuffed to it.

"You awake?" He recognized Ritsuko's voice.

"...I think so...Where am I?"

"You're in psych treatment. Tell me, what do you remember?"

"...Absorbing the Angel and saving Rei."

"You saved Rei?"

"Yeah...I got her out of Unit-00."

"How did you do that?"

"By absorbing the Angel."

"How did you absorb the Angel?"

"Unit-01's core...I don't know how it works...It just does..."

"Shinji, you didn't save Rei."

"...What!?" He jerked forwards and pulled his shoulder on the handcuffs. He collapsed back in the bed trying to massage the pain away.

"You started an Impact."

"How can I do that?! Only an Angel can cause an Impact!"

"Unit-01 managed to absorb two of them so far. For all intents and purposes, it is one."

"But I-"

"After you're cleared to leave the bed you are due to be reviewed by the Commander. Professor Fuyutsuki volunteered to provide you a defense. If I were you, I'd accept it. If there's anybody who can sway your father's opinion...It's him."

"...Ritsuko?"

"Shinji?"

"What happened to Rei, then?"

"She's in intensive care. Unit-00 blew up."

"I got her out of Unit-00!"

"Shinji, get some sleep. There's an extreme chance that you're delirious. You need to be of sound mind before you appear at the review."

"...Is she okay?"

"She'll recover."

He accepted that answer and laid back in the bed.

* * *

Mari was changed in to her plugsuit, and walked out of the women's locker room at the exact moment that a pale-skinned, silver-haired boy with red eyes left the men's. = Is he the new guy? God, Shinji was cute but he's georgeous! = She ran up to him.

"Hey! You just got shipped out here, right?"

"You are Mari Illustrious, the unNumbered Child. Is is my privilege to meet you." He answered her with a warm smile. She felt her body heat up.

"Yeah! We're gonna kick all kinds of ass!" She smacked his shoulder, then collapsed to the floor, holding her head in pain. A torrent of images filled her head.

* * *

_Evangelion Mark 0.9 decapitated the remains of Unit-06. The Twelfth Angel emerged from it and attempted to escape to freedom, but was absorbed by Unit-13, triggering the awakening of Unit-13. Kaworu felt the Choker around his neck activate. Crystalline explosives formed around his neck, they speared through the Choker and detonated, killing the human avatar of the First Angel. Broken by the loss of Rei, and now Kaworu, Shinji's mind completely snapped. He tore the Two Spears from the body of Lillith, triggering the Fourth Impact._

* * *

"Mari! Mari!" She felt herself being held in a warm arm and felt her face being fanned. She saw his face above her and gasped.

"You're-"

"Yes. I am the son of Adam, creator of this world. I know what you saw. That was my previous attempt to defend this world that you and I call home. Much like my first, I was decieved by the King of Lillim. I intend to see him fall."

"...King of Lillim?"

"Our Commander. He sees himself Master of the Second Angel. I can assure you that She will not serve him. His hubris and arrogance will destroy him."

"But you-"

"I have no desire to see the end of this world. I want to see humanity grow and prosper. I was decieved once into believing that my remains were kept here, deep in Terminal Dogma. That place is Lillith's grave, and I will not be fooled into invading it again."

"What happened?"

"Commander Ikari, worms devour him, hid my predecessor's remains from me, and then used them to control the daughter of Lillith. He caused the Final Impact himself, raising Lillith from her grave. She reaped all the souls of humanity, until the focus of her human love rejected her and her work. Shinji Ikari refused to allow the Second Angel to merge all of humanity into a singular consciousness; perfect, infinite, dead.

When Lillith died, my predecessor's remains returned to life and absorbed her flesh, growing to the strength of a god. It was able to Rebuild this world after the Corrupt Ikari destroyed it...It did not accomplish much good. Ikari's mad crusade to resurrect his dead wife continued after our Rebirth. My second death...you were a witness of. Tell me, Have you had visions such as those before."

"Yeah...I have. A vision is how I figured out how to fight the Fourteenth Angel..."

"Then it seems that you were not bound to my will. Any individuals who were reborn were to forget these events. You seem to be a 'Wild Card,' as it were. If you assist me, I would be priveleged to show you more of these secrets."

"...Maybe you could show me some of them over dinner, some time?" She asked him, acting as cutely as she could make herself.

"You know that I am not human, yet you wish to pursue me?"

"That doesn't bother you about Shinji- oh yeah, I felt _those_ memories, too -yet you pursue him."

"Shinji is the one who showed me the ability to feel human happiness. I have no regard for his physical gender. After all, though I am, anatomically, a human male, my race does not divide itself into two sexes. I have been trying to contact Shinji. Do you know of his wherabouts?"

"Section-2's keeping him hidden. I have no idea."

"I value his companionship. I have learned the contentment that comes from human relationships."

"...You know," She said, batting her eyes and twirling her hair. "From what I've heard; he's off the market. He's completely blinded by the First. You and me, on the other hand, we're both single, and you are the handsomest guy I've ever laid eyes on. The fact that you're a god is just a plus. Just promise me that you don't want to end the world."

= She truly is a 'Wild Card'...Perhaps, I can show myself happiness, this time... = "Quite the opposite. My heart desires nothing more than to save it."

He helped her to her feet and offered his arm to her, she held on tight to it as they walked to the test chamber to prepare for their synchronization.

* * *

"We have to make this quick, Commander. The other two are going in for a synch test, and I need to be there."

"Very well. Activate her."

Ritsuko entered a few commands and the number '03' into a small tablet she was carrying. A blank-faced, dumbly smiling girl drifted into the tube before the Commander and herself.

"I'm beginning the Transfer now..." She entered the command into the tablet, and the MAGI returned a message with a warning. "Drives not found!? We just recently backed her memory up! What the hell has happened?!" She turned to the girl before her. "Okay, I'll try anyway: Do you know who you are?"

"...Who?...Am I?" She sounded if she had to dig through her mind to find the words to answer with.

"Aren't you Rei Ayanami, the First Child and Designated Pilot of Evangelion Unit-00?"

"...Am...I?" She looked confused inside the LCL.

"Commander, we have a problem. The memories didn't transfer..."

"How could this happen, Doctor?" He sounded frustrated. Ritsuko knew not to frustrate the Commander.

"They are kept on 8 separate RAID-6 Drive Arrays...They could only fail if somebody actively deleted them...Commander, I think the clone process has been sabotaged."

"By who?"

"I don't know. This is the most secure facility on the planet. The saboteur would need to be an expert at breaking, entering, and computer security."

"Bring her out, even if she isn't competent. We need her in time for the Final Angel's elimination, we have to use her before SEELE can attempt their own Completion."

"I don't think this is a good idea, Commander."

"Do I pay you to think?"

"Uhh, Yes."

"Very well then, your concern will be noted."

She sighed and prepared this new vessel for her entry into the world.

The Chamber drained of LCL, she felt her feet touch the grate on the floor. She watched in confusion and wonder as the glass around her rose to the ceiling. A woman with golden hair approached her. She dressed her in a white blouse and teal school dress.

"Rei, we need you to go back to work, alright?"

"Work...?"

"...This isn't a good sign."

* * *

_I love you..._

= Huh...? =

Shinji was mostly asleep and was...hearing things?

_I want to be held again..._

= Who are you? =

_Shouldn't you know?_

= ...What?! =

He sat up in the bed as far as he could. A small group of Section 2 agents were looking over him. One detached his handcuffs and led him to NERV's assembly room.

* * *

"First Lieutenant Ikari, please be seated."

He took a chair before his father's place, Fuyutsuki came to sit beside him. "I agree with your father that you did the wrong thing, but I know that you did it for the right reason. I'm going to see you through this."

"Confirm your identity."

"...Shinji Ikari."

"...I may be getting old, but I'd think I'd recognize my son. You look...different."

"I'll go out on a limb and say that I've changed while I've been here."

"Undoubtedly. Roughly 24 hours ago, Lieutenant, you were launched as a reserve asset in the defense against our latest threat."

"If I was launched as the Primary, I could have prevented Unit-00's victimization."

"Was it Unit-00 that you were concerned for?"

"No, you're right. I was concerned for Unit-00's pilot. The UN gave us a pretty nice budget, right? The vehicle can be replaced, the pilots are human lives."

"The pilots can be replaced as well-"

"Can they? I'd say that we're all pretty irreplaceable."  
"Shinji," Fuyutsuki prodded him. "don't cut in to the statements like that."  
"I have a point that I'm going to reach, but thank you for the counsel, Professor."

"You say that you're irreplaceable; defend your statement."

"The Evangelion Unit is attuned to its pilot. It takes everything short of an act of God to build a Core for a new pilot-...oh, right. I forgot to mention, the core is what gives the Eva Unit its power and its link to its pilot...almost like the Eva is a human...like it's the pilot's family..." Shinji gave his father a sick smile.

"Shinji-"  
"Not now, Professor. I'm either going to win this 'trial' or I'm going to make him shoot me right here."

"That's a rather outrageous analogy-"

"_She_ agrees."

"...I could have you locked up for a very long time. You caused the very event NERV exists to prevent."

"Yes, acting on my orders to defend First Lieutenant Ayanami from her physical and mental assault by the Fifteenth Angel resulted in a somewhat overzealous defeat of said Angel...Forgive me for that, but I was not willing to witness the death of Rei."

"She can be replaced as well, no matter how much you dislike that thought-"

"Not really. That's something I like about Rei...No matter what horrible shit happens to her, she always comes back, good as new." He smirked up to his father's position.

"I'm going to ask you simply. What do you know?"

"I know that the Evas aren't being used to defend the planet. They're the bait for bigger fish."

"...We're going to take a recess. Further quantifiable documentation is required. First Lieutenant Ikari, this is for _your_ benefit. We do not make statements in accusation without documentation to support it."

"I appreciate your 'mercy,' but I was under the impression that we don't record our particular version of fun."

"_Everything_ you do is logged, somewhere. You will be taken to temporary holding for the night."

"What? No 5-star hotel for the pilot with the highest kill count?"

"You're alive. Remember that."

* * *

Misato opened a line of communication to the two 'new' pilots from their test plugs.

"Mari, we're tuning your test plug for Unit-02 and we're going to inspect your core while its in cold storage."

"So much paperwork to do, Misato..."

"I know...Kaworu, Unit-06's profile is being loaded into the MAGI as we speak."

"So much computational power available to us...Amazing."

"...I've never really thought about it, before, but you're right. We do have great equipment. I know that you've both heard this before, but keep trying to go deeper, both of you. The higher the sync the better your performance."

"Sure, Misato!"

"Of course, Colonel."

"They are both already professionals, Misato." Ritsuko stated from her terminal.

"Sure, but there's no point in ignoring thier training because of that. How's Not-Shinji's condition?"

Ritsuko sighed. There was no ignoring Misato's prodding. "He has to appear before the Commander before you'll be able to contact him."

* * *

Shinji tossed and turned on the uncomfortable cell bed, his dreams confusing. He knew he was asleep, but he felt as if his eyes were wide open, looking around a pitch black space.

= Not like I can see anything, eyes open or closed. =

_Although I like living in your head rent-free, I'd really like the opportunity to go home..._

= You again? Are you just going to start bothering me again? =

_It is tempting. After all, I enjoy watching your melodramatic overreactions..._

= ...Only one person I've ever known talks like that... =

_Notice a difference? I learned some of your 'informal language' skills while I've been in here. Really, digging through your thoughts and memories is kind of fun! I had a great time looking through all these occassions you've imagined me in and out of my plugsuit! And you're right, one-pieces do look better than bikinis. Maybe I'll wear mine and model for you, sometime._

= Don't bring those up, please! =

_Aww! Boyfriend's trying to keep up his 'Knight in Shining Armor' reputation! Really, Shinji, I'd love to act out a few of these fantasies of yours if it means we commit to one another for an uplifting, long-lasting relationship._

= Rei, you don't have to do anything. =

_I was created in order to be committed to a purpose. I'm hardwired to make committments. I have little experience with the motions of a relationship. I want to keep you by my side._

= How am I even talking to you? =

_Don't you remember all that punishment you went through for me?_

= Of course I do...I just didn't think when I pulled you through the Angel that I was pulling you...into...me? God that sounds ridiculous... =

_But that's exactly what happened. Now don't you want a warm, comfortable bed for the evening?_

= ...Sure... =

_Face the cell door and hold your hand up. Then go to my apartment._

He forced himself awake and got out ot the bed. When he obeyed...her?...an orange hexagon appeared before his hand and burst through the cell door. He had a way out. Section 2 guards rushed to the room but were pinned and knocked unconscious against a wall by Shinji's projected AT Field.

= THIS IS INCREDIBLE! = He cheered to himself. = Has Rei always been able to do this?! She has a really strong sense of restraint not to kill everyone that irritates her! = He knocked out another wave of guards. = Is this because Rei is part Angel? = He broke out of the holding compound and snuck up to ground level, introducing any personnel who opposed him to the wall.

* * *

"Commander," Gendo was awakened by his secure phone. "security in the holding cells has been brought offline and the MAGI have recorded projections of an AT Field throughout the facility."

"Where was this last encounter?"

"The last known location was...the Eva storage bays."

"Dispatch armed security to that location and give them orders to search for Shinji Ikari. It would appear that our fears concerning him are true."

"Yes, Sir. Scrambling forces now."

= ...What has our son become, Yui? =

While he was recieving the call, a young man was riding the train out to Tokyo-3's housing projects. In the Evangelion storage bays, a squad of security shook their heads in confusion at those two new pilots, who they found happily chatting outside their entry plugs. They didn't find the target they were assigned, so they reported their findings to the Commander.

"Commander, Security. We only found those two new pilots, and they were scheduled to be here. There's absolutely nothing else down here."

* * *

Shinji walked into Rei's apartment to find the girl sleeping, fully clothed and unblanketed, on top of her unmade bed. He looked at her, she looked even less involved in basic personal hygeine and self-preservation than when he first met her. He shook her awake, only for her eyes to lazily drift open and blankly stare at him.

"Rei? Can you recognize me?"

"...Me...?" She latched on to the last word of his sentence.

"Yes. Rei, it's me, Shinji. We know each other really well..."

"Really...well...?" She looked more and more confused as Shinji kept talking.

"...Do you remember what happened?"

"What happened...Doctor...She told me..." She looked up to him, puzzled.

"...Go back to sleep, Rei. I need some time to think."

He sat in her school chair, closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep.

* * *

= Rei...what happened to you? =

_What you're looking at is just a replica, Shinji. A soulless, mindless, walking doll. Funny, this is what Soryu always accused me of being._

= It's not funny, Rei. It's wrong. I tried to save you- =

_You succeeded, Shinji. I'm here, with you._

= You know that's not what I mean. =

_She is my return to physical life, Shinji_.

= What does that mean? =

_I am a soul without a body. She is a body without a soul._

= And you can, what- =

_I cannot, not without assistance. The chamber that you and I so hate will allow me to return to my body._

= Your...soul can...enter a body? God, this is too much for me! =

_I know it is, Shinji. That's why it must be done, then forgotten._

= Rei, if I do this thing to her...will it kill her? =

_She isn't actually alive, Shinji, only programmed to function. She's just one stage above 'brain dead'._

= This still seems wrong, Rei =

_Your unconditional concern for the well-being of others is your greatest trait, Shinji. It may well be 'wrong,' but the alternative is worse, believe me._

= ...I trust you, Rei, completely. What do I do? =

_Take her to Misato's apartment and introduce her. I believe that it is time for your guardian to learn the truth about me._

= Something tells me that I'm not going to like this. =

* * *

He woke up, shook Rei awake, and led her by hand out of her apartment. = It's like she can't even move without something ordering her around. Those bastards will pay, I promise them that. =

He traveled across the battered surface of Tokyo-3 and brought her to Misato's apartment. It was daybreak when he arrived, and entered her house with Rei in tow. He marched into his room, retrieved the handgun that he stole from a Section-2 agent, and beat on Misato's door.

"MISATO! GET UP! I don't care how hungover you are!"

Kaji opened the door, a blanked wrapped around his waist. "What the hell did we ever do to you Shin-...Who are you?!"

"I'm Shinji, believe me. I just decided to try a new look for a while."

"Yeah, 'new look'. You look just like a-"

"Not now, Kaji, I need Misato awake. We need to have a long, long discussion with Ritsuko."

"Ouch. I'll bet Ritzy'll never know what hit her. I'll get Misato, but she'll be cranky."

"I'm used to it."

He waited a few moments until she came out of her room, dazed and badly dressed.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO SHINJI?!"

"Misato, calm down. I just look a little different. Ritsuko can explain it when we 'talk' to her."

"And what about Rei?"

"Ask her yourself."

"Rei, what happened to you?"

"To me...?"

"Shinji, what's wrong with her?"

"Ritsuko will have to answer for that, too."

"Well then, let's go see her. Kaji you-"

"I was just going to get some gardening done, Misato, you go on without me." He flipped out his cell phone and sent a text message.

* * *

Misato barged into Ritsuko's office with Shinji pulling Rei in by her hand.

"What is the meaning of this! You're supposed to be under surveillance by Section-2-"

Ritsuko shut up when Shinji drew his weapon on her.

"Shinji!" Misato cut in. "Put that down!"

"Not until Ritsuko starts telling the truth, Misato. Now, 'Doctor,' you're going to give me and Misato a little facilities tour, aren't you?"

"I don't know what-" He pulled the slide on the handgun. "Fine, you three follow me."

She ushered them into an elevator and entered her authorization to travel to the Artificial Evolution Laboratory. They stopped at the first room Ritsuko knew Misato needed to see. Shinji pulled Rei in and looked around, an expression of smoldering anger on his face. Rei simply looked around in confusion.

"...This is...Rei's apartment!" Misato looked in shock at the small room that had the exact layout as the apartment Rei now lived in.

"It was created purposefully. Keeping Rei in the same, static environment allowed Commander Ikari to condition her from birth-"

"And he failed at it, trust me." Shinji cut in.

"Yes, it has become clear that he did." Ritsuko continued. "This is the room Rei lived in until she was six years old."

"You know that's a lie, Doctor, how old is Rei, really?"

"...You know the whole truth, don't you, Shinji?"

"Yes, I do. Let's continue."

"Wait, what is all this?" Misato noticed the beaker of water and an array of drugs on a small refirgerator, the same array as Rei kept in her apartment.

"Rei spent a large part of her life on a diet of vitamins, anti-rejection medication, and experimental medication to preserve her body composition. She had to be taught how to keep herself healthy."

They left the room and she brought the trio to a lookout over a vast area covered in bones and rotting muscles.

"An Eva graveyard. Failed attempts to build the Units before Unit-00. We use the area to decompose the biomass and regrow it into the syntehtic flesh of the active Units."

Shinji took over the conversation. "It's where Unit-00 and Unit-01 were activated. It's where my mother entered Unit-01." He turned to look at Ritsuko's horrified expression. "Oh yeah, Ritzy, I know all about it. Wipe that look off your face."

Misato stared in awe out over the hundreds of failed experiments. Ritsuko spoke and shook her out of her trance. "There's one more place you need to visit. It's probably what Shinji wants you to see. I have no doubt that he already knows about it."

"Yes, Ritsuko, as a matter of fact, I do. Let's go there."

Ritsuko led the group to their final destination. She entered her authorization and led them into the room. Misato looked at the glass tube that extended up to a brain shaped mesh of wiring and piping.

"What is this thing?"

"It's the construction system for the dummy plugs."

"What!?"

Shinji answered her. "Rei has to float in that tube while they probe her mind and copy her memories. They use those memories to program the plugs. Turn on the lights, Ritsuko."

"Shinji, I don't think Misato-" * Click *

Ritsuko paled at the sound of Shinji's weapon and activated the illumination for the LCL tank behind the chamber. Hundreds of bodies of Rei Ayanami appeared in the light, naked and floating in the LCL. Shinji closed his eyes and looked away, but otherwise remained silent. Misato screamed.

"...R-Rei! They're all Rei!"

She pulled her weapon on Ritsuko and Shinji darted to her side and pushed it away. "Not. Yet." He whispered in her ear. Across the room, Rei walked up to her sisters and placed one hand on the glass. She stared in almost reverent observance of the other girls in the tank.

Shinji moved over to her and pulled her away from the glass wall. He came up to Ritsuko and gave her an order.

"Ritsuko, let's end this. Drain the tube and open it."

"What are you trying to do, Shinji?"

"Bringing Rei back, even if it's the last thing I do."

"Shinji I can't let you risk-"

"Either you do it, or I shoot you and I talk Misato through the operations. Change the data source from the MAGI to my DNA sequence. Rei-3 is the destination."

"Shinji, I _deserve_ to die for the things I've done."

"And you won't get that satisfaction. Now, prepare the chamber or I throw you in the lake of LCL."

"Fine, Shinji." She typed a string of commands into the room's terminal and the orange liquid drained from the tube and it rose into the ceiling.

"Misato, turn around." Shinji undressed Rei, then himself. He led her to stand on the grate in the chamber, then pressed his chest and stomach closely against her own; the tube was not made for two people. He noticed that she had no reaction other than her continued blank stare. = I want the old Rei back, now! = He wrapped his arms around her waist and nodded to Ritsuko. She lowered the tube around them.

The chamber began to fill with LCL and Shinji began kissing Rei's neck and cheek as they floated. Ritsuko electrified the LCL and locked the wireless transfer on to the electromagnetic waves detected in Shinji's mind. She programmed the computer to target Rei's brain as the destination and activated the transfer.

Shinji screamed as he felt stabbing pain inside his head. His eyes lit bright red then darkened, returning to his natural shade of blue. His hair darkened, returning to its natural shade of brown. A glowing, spectral mist passed from his body into Rei's. She blinked several times, a look of sudden clarity appearing on her face. Her face twisted into an expression of pure hatred, and she glared at Ritsuko. Orange, transluscent hexagons formed around her and Shinji's bodies, forming into a crystalline shell. She furrowed her eyebrows and forced the AT Field outwards, bursting the glass tube into glass powder and destroying the dummy plug components. The LCL flooded into the room and Shinji dropped to the floor, clutching his head in pain. Rei walked up to Ritsuko, raised her hand towards her, and began forming a projected AT field. Ritsuko froze in terror as Rei prepared to blow the woman into the wall behind her; she was sure to be killed.

A warm hand gripped her wrist. Shinji, now looking no different than a few days prior, pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly and glaring up to Ritsuko.

"The harshest punishment you could endure is to keep living with all this on your pathetic conscience, Ritsuko." He looked over to the clones. "I'm sorry, Rei."

"Do it, Shinji. I am unafraid. You've saved me twice, now."

"Ritsuko," He ordered. "Destroy them. My father doesn't deserve them."

"...You're right. He doesn't." She entered a few commands into the terminal and a chemical solvent was released. Misato screamed as she watched the clones slowly disentigrate, blood and organs flooding the tank until all that was left was a reddish-brown haze in the liquid. Shinji and Rei closed their eyes and held tightly to one another, blocking out the gasps and cries of pain coming from her sisters.

"...Rei, let's get out of here."

* * *

A/N: If Mari wants some, Mari gets some!


	28. Chapter 27: Recovery

Answers:  
ANON: Sarcastic Shinji is Fun Shinji  
Elemental: I completly agree, I love Mari.  
Fanus: Sorry! Kaworu's creepyness is what makes him so fun!

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 27: Recovery

* * *

After his clever plan to reunite Rei, Shinji discreetly saw her back to her apartment and returned to NERV's holding cells, going to sleep there and acting like nothing ever happened. Several bewildered Section 2 agents found him there. Why would anybody bust out of jail and just walk back into their cell? He woke up and greeted them before willingly going with them.

Shinji was seated in NERV's assembly room for the second day, arriving before his father. When the stern man finally arrived, the news Shinji received was shocking.

"Shinji Ikari, your charges have been dropped due to mistrial via terrorist attack. Yesterday, explosive charges were set in NERV's research sublevels, destroying equipment necessary for research into the Evangelion Autopilot. The suspect has been identified and is in custody."

Shinji feigned ignorance. "That's certainly a relief for me, father, but how does somebody break into NERV? Aren't we like the most secure facility on the planet?"

"Internal Sabotage, Shinji. Now, please excuse yourself so the suspect can be brought in."

"...Okay...This last week has been nothing but weirdness..." He left the room and several guards brought Ritsuko in. She doctored the video recordings in the room to wipe Shinji and Rei's appearances from the video and only showed herself.

"Ritsuko Akagi. I'm going to ask simply. Why did you destroy the dummy system?"

She looked up to him, disgusted. "I had a realization, Gendo. Rei Ayanami is a human, teenage, girl. Nobody in their lives at this pathetic place has ever treated her like that. You only pretended to, and you know it! So what if she wasn't squeezed out in a hospital?! She can still feel. She can still hurt."

"She was our key to success. You have destroyed that."

"You destroyed it, Gendo. _You did_. Every time you treated those below you like disposable tools, every time you treated those close to you like disposable _toys_. You only used me to contain your suppressed ache for your dead wife. Every time a hint of passion would appear in you, you used me to pluck it out, always leaving the room afterwards and refusing to include me, satisfy me, or even acknowledge me. It really was a clever way to keep up your cold, professional appearance, and not look or act...human. At the time, it was enough, but then I saw that I wasn't the only person you treated that way.

Rei has a chance to feel human happiness, now. With the death of her replacements, she's just as fragile and valuable as you are. You wouldn't dare take that away from her, now. Do you know why she loves your son? He treats her with simple kindness and concern. Something I never did for her, and something you conditioned her to be blind to. Shinji changed her, and he changed me, too. Do whatever you want with me. _You've already lost_."

"You're going to spend the rest of your career in a cell, one that you don't have the power to break out of."

"I've been a prisoner my entire life. I welcome it."

* * *

"DAMMIT WHERE IS SHE!?"

"Ma'am, she's escaped psychological treatment. We don't know how or when."

= Dammit, where would Asuka go if she wanted to run away...! = "Send agents to my apartment, her high school, Unit-02's cage, and the Horaki family's household."

"The Horaki apartment was destoryed, Colonel."

"What!?"

"It was in Unit-00's blast. The father and two daughters made it to their shelter. The third was here with a guest pass to visit a...Mr. Suzuhara."

"...Check the building and look over Captain Soryu's profile. Send agents anywhere she's likely to go."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

= I spend more time over here than I do at home...I wonder how Misato would react if I told her I should just move in; I bet it'd freak her and Asuka out really bad! = He knocked on the dilapidated apartment door to no answer. He slowly opened it and walked in to the darkened room; Rei was still asleep, this time actually looking like a person in bed. = God she's cute when she sleeps... = He sat beside her and slowly stroked her hair until she stirred and her eyes fluttered open.

"...Go away...I still feel weak...Yesterday didn't do me any favors..."

"Rei...you're sounding like a...teenager?" He was in awe. Maybe a couple of days in his head did work out for her.

"Not...funny, Shinji...What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to talk to somebody that just got out of prison?"

"What happened?"

"It's not good. Ritsuko took the fall for us...I can't believe she did it."

"...I can. You changed her, Shinji, like you changed me. You showed her real humanity. Perhaps she has a plan? She isn't stupid." She moved and rested her head on his lap, rustling her blanket enough to show Shinji her lack of outerwear. He forced his eyes away from her bra and well-developed bust.

= NO! Not while her head's there! Think about disgusting things! School! Our Teacher! The Angels! Ritsuko and my dad! = That last one solved his problem.

"Shinji...You know the truth about me..."

"Yeah, Rei, we've been over this..."

"I am still unsure...A normal person's reaction would be disgust or hatred...Why are you not repulsed by me?"

"Rei, every time I think about you, all I can see are the things my father used you for. I think about my mother, the dummy plugs...the clones...and I blame _him_. You never had any power to resist your creation or your uses...What kind of person would run away from you for that?"

"Do I remind you of your mother, Shinji?"

"...Umm...not really, now that I think about it...She definitely didn't have your hair or eyes." He smiled down at the blue and red. "And now that I remember her...She's kind of energetic and intense; you're so subtle and reserved...I don't think I could keep up with a person like my mom...or Asuka for that matter.

Besides, it's your fault anyway. If you're so worried, you shouldn't have made me fall head over heels for you." He stated, rather succinctly. Rei started giggling. Shinji's eyes widened. "You're laughing."

"You're funny...

About the Second Angel, Shinji..."

"I don't understand the Angels at all, Rei. I see no reason to care if they used you for one of them."

"They plan to use me to cause-"

"I've seen your thoughts, Rei. You don't plan on letting my father go through with it."

"I fear that I'll be forced to."

"If we fail to stop my father, Rei, my mom _won't_. She told me that herself." His cell phone rang.

"Misato?...She's where?!...You can probably guess where I'm at...Misato, stop that! I wouldn't do that!...We'll be over there really soon." = Why is she incapable of believing that I respect Rei?! =

"...Rei, Asuka's back in intensive care...They found her at the remains of Hikari's place. Apparently you blew the apartments up. Misato wants everybody at the hospital."

"I am not sure if Soryu would be happy to see me."

"That's why we're going. We _need_ to be there."

"Shinji, if she begins to mistreat you or me-"

"Then we'll leave."

Rei started to get out of bed. Shinji freaked out and clenched his eyes shut, only for Rei to open them with her hands. "Shinji, why do you panic when you see me like this? You didn't act concerned yesterday, and I know from your memory that you think about me in various states of dress and intimacy."

"Yesterday I wasn't thinking about 'us', I was too busy hating my dad. Today...I just respect you and your body too much, whichever one you're using right now."

She stepped back and smiled as his jaw hung slightly open. "I want you to see me, Shinji. My soul has belonged to you, I want to have yours...This way I know you belong to me."

"...Fair enough. Wait what am I thinking?!...Rei we shouldn't."

"Do two people who are in love not-"

"Yes. But not out of jealousy or obligation. Rei, I'm thrilled that you want this, but I'm not getting you pregnant, or doing anything ridiculous, _because_ I love you."

"I'm not capable of having children."

"You aren't?"

"My body is synthetic, Shinji, it is...imperfect. The process left me with conditions such as my hair and eye pigmentation, my history of anemia, and my sterility."

"...Your hair and eyes are the most beautiful things about you. Anemia can be treated with medication and therapy- which you've received. The war has created millions of orphans and babies without mothers. I'm sure we could adopt after we're married or whatever..."

= Wait.

...Ohh, shit! =

Rei's eyes moistened. "With me, Shinji? A life together...A real life?"

= I can either panic and run or keep digging...Her eyes are so beautiful... = "Um...The future's a long way away, Rei...We have plenty of time to plan for whatever happens-" He saw her running...his general direction. = HELP! =

She tackled him to the bed, lips locked. "Rei! We...have to...go...get dressed!" He managed to say between gasps of air.

* * *

Mari and Kaworu were looking over Asuka's unconscious form, Kaworu considering his position because of her.

"...I was ordered by the UN to replace the Second Child. I fear for her condition. If she does not recover, Unit-02 will either be taken out of service or permanently placed under your control, Mari."

"I don't like seeing her like this, even if it means getting her job...I wouldn't wish this on anybody. She hasn't eaten since the Fifteenth attacked and she's dehydrated. I guess she was trying to commit suicide via hunger strike...What could possibly drive her to that point?"

"Years of psychological damage and an inferiority complex bigger than Napoleon, Mari." Misato walked into the room. "Her mother killed herself right in front of Asuka's eyes. If I had been able to read this report a little sooner, maybe I could have done something about this...I'll kill whoever decided that this file was too confidential for me. She's one of MY pilots!"

"She has not responded to us, Colonel. Do you wish for us to remain and wait for her?"

"No, we'll be watching her in shifts. Shinji and Rei are due next."

Mari was beaming with excitement. "Puppy and Watergirl are-"

"They're both okay, Mari, they just had to clear their heads after the Fifteenth fought them both."

"I am sure that it was harrowing for them. I'm glad to know they're safe. I'm sure we'll have much to talk about."

Mari raised one eyebrow towards Kaworu and whispered into his ear. "Not this time, Angel Boy. _You're all mine._" He paled slightly. Sure, he had the makings of a god in him, but Mari was...Mari.

"Misato," Mari said. "Take this, I got a message from Kaji saying he'd be at his garden and he'd like to see you there, later." She gave Misato a briefcase she was carrying. "He said you'd know what to do with that."

Misato looked at the case, stepped out of the room and waited in the hall. = _Those_ two had better not be...oh hell, I don't even care anymore. If Shinji were 17 I'm sure he'd already be saving up for the ring...Rei...God, I wish I knew about her before now...She was a strange girl, sure, but _that_? I'll never forgive Shinji if he leaves her...she needs him so much...I'm not sure who's going to kill Ritsuko first. =

When the pair arrived, Misato stopped them and squeezed Rei in a hug. "Even if you keep living across town, I want you to know that you're mine, just like Shinji and Asuka are!" Her face turned serious. "Rei, I'm sorry for never finding out about you. I'll do whatever-"

"Nothing is necessary, Colonel. I'm fine, now, and the dummy plugs have failed, completely. All I need to be safe and content is Shinji's company." The boy holding her hand was practically glowing.

"I completely approve, you two. Now, take some stress off Mari and Kaworu. I'm sure they're hungry. I'll be back after going over some defense modifications. Call me and the nurses if anything happens." She left and Shinji and Rei entered the room. Rei looked and saw Kaworu's pale skin, soft face and _red eyes._ Shinji thought that he...recognized him?

They couldn't think for long because Mari crushed them both in a hug. "Ohmygosh I'msohappy youtwoareokay! Watergirl I haven't seen you since the Fourteenth attacked! Why would you blow yourself up like that!? What would your boyfriend think if you damn near killed yourself?!"

"I'd be...pretty pissed...Mari." He answered, choking in her hold.

"I'm sorry...'Watergirl'?" Rei asked, squeezing out of the hug. Mari answered her by rubbing her cheek all over the crown of Rei's head, illustrating their height difference and Mari's disregard for personal space.

"Your hair! I love it! It's so pretty and blue! It reminds me of the ocean before the Second Impact!"

"You were alive then?"

"I was one year old. My parents died in the flooding in England. Don't feel sorry for me, their sacrifice allowed me to join the UN and fight the Angels!"

Kaworu approached Shinji during the Mari-created chaos. "I'm certain you don't remember me, Shinji Ikari."

"I...know we've met before, somewhere..."

"Not somewhere, _somewhen_. We knew each other in the distant past. I was glad to receive this commission."

"Why's that?"

"Because it allowed me to thank you for your friendship. You taught me a great deal back then; you could say that I was ignorant of my own humanity."

"...I know someone a lot like that..."

"Yes, and there are times that I envy your closeness. Living in scientific isolation can either harden a person, or weaken them. You see examples of both in this very room."

"You don't come across as weak, and I know that Rei definitely isn't-"

"If Miss Soryu awakens, talk to her. If she emotionally attacks you, press on. You must know her past to save her-" His cryptic wisdom was cut off by Mari grabbing his ear.

"Come on handsome! We're getting dinner, these two can take care of themselves...Not like that!" She literally dragged Kaworu along.

As the two made themselves scarce, Shinji sat down, _very_ close to Rei, in the guest chairs. She molded into his side and pulled one of his arms around her.

"I guess you're still tired, right?"

"In one word? Yes. We can cuddle later, Shinji, just keep me warm and let me sleep. You can watch for Soryu, can't you?"

"Of course I can. If there's anybody that needs this time off, it's you, Rei." He watched as she drifted off. = Yes. She's cute when she sleeps. = He held her closer and waited.

* * *

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Commander?" Ritsuko asked from her cell.

"You are the most fortunate woman to ever live. You're getting an assignment. SEELE somehow knows that the First Child is still alive; they are demanding an interview with her. You are to go in her stead. While they are confusedly interrogating you, you will learn what they know of the dummy system and how they know about Rei. Bring us back a definitive report and you might not be put back in this room."

"...I'm sure SEELE is going to recognize my 14 year old body and blue hair."

"Hence the word 'confusedly'."

* * *

_Mama! I got it! I get to pilot the Eva! It's going to be so cool!_

_Mama? Are you home? Do you think daddy already heard? Maybe we can get him to visit!_

_Mama? Where are you?_

_Asuka opened the door to her mother's room. Kyoko Langely Soryu hung from a rope, one of Asuka's ragdolls, her name stitched to the front, was dangling beside her._

_MAMA! NO! MAMA! Don't leave me!_

* * *

"MAMA!" Asuka shot up in the bed to see a startled Idiot and Wondergirl looking at her.

"What...what are you two doing in here!?"

"We wanted to be here when you woke up, Asuka." Shinji answered.

"I don't want to see either of you."

"We are here to watch over you, Pilot Soryu." Rei stated.

"Don't call me 'Pilot'. You're just doing it to mock me, now!"

"Why would I mock you?"

"Because you win! You're the best! You have the friends, the power, you've got everything."

"I am no longer a pilot, either, then."

"What?!"

"Unit-00 was destroyed."

"Then you-"

"I survived."

"You still have _him_."

"Asuka, why are you so jealous of Rei?"

"Because you never gave me a chance!"

"You never acted like you wanted one."

"I've been degrading myself ever since we met just to get your attention!"

"And you could've had it, if you hadn't physically and verbally abused me. I refused to defend myself from your taunts and attacks because I don't see them as worth the effort of a fight. I could, however, choose to ignore you."

"Ever heard of 'hard to get'? Competition?"

"Only an idiot would need his lack of self-worth validated by an abusive partner, Asuka. Rei and I are together because we make each other into better people by spending time together."

"She's a doll!"

"You're right." Rei stated, entering the conversation.

"What!? Hey Idiot, this is the part where you defend your emotionless girlfriend!"

"Rei can defend herself, believe me." He answered, thinking of the times she'd killed him in training.

"What's she going to do, analyze me?"

"Yes." Rei answered. "Why do you let your anger and hate control you?"

"Because I can't stand people who stick their noses into other people's business!"

"Is it _your_ business how I express myself?"

"That's just it! You don't express yourself!"

"If that were true, I'm certain Shinji wouldn't be attracted to me."

"Sure he would! He's a sleazy pervert and you're easy!"

"Why is Shinji a 'sleazy pervert'?"

"All nerdy, scrawny boys are! Because they can't get a real girlfriend, they have to act out their sick fantasies on their own!"

"Based on the discussions we've had, Shinji's 'fantasies' were rather uninteresting."

"Rei, the term is 'vanilla'!" Shinji whispered to her.

"Oh! So he's a boring boyfriend, that's even better!"

"I am not 'easy', as you stated. I am involved in an uplifting physical and personal relationship. Does the fact that you desire a 'boyfriend' with fantasies that aren't 'boring' make you a 'sleazy pervert', Soryu?"

"No! I'm-"

"Losing the argument." Shinji smirked, offering his commentary.

"Shut up Third!"

"Tell me, Soryu, why do you only act on negative emotion?"

"Who are you to ask that?! You don't even have emotion!"

"You are correct."

"What? You won't even defend yourself from that one?"

"There is no need to. The open expression of emotion was conditioned away from me. I envy your readiness to express yourself, Soryu. Your emotions are part of what makes you who you are. I don't have that trait; it was stolen from me."

"You can't 'steal' emotions!"

"Yes you can. Did you know that 'The First Child' was an orphan?" Rei half-lied. "Raised by Commander Ikari himself after he abandoned his own son?" Rei took Shinji's hand as he cringed at the memory.

"Shinji is who he is today because he was raised with positive intervention in his father's absence. I am who I am because Commander Ikari conditioned my feelings away from me. 'They would only inhibit my ability to pilot'. He was right, in a way. My negative emotions- and yours, for that matter -weaken our skills. NERV did not teach us that our positive emotions would give us strength at the controls. Unit-00 was at its strongest when I was acting on my desire to protect Shinji-"

"And Unit-01 was strongest when I was trying to protect Rei, Asuka." Shinji cut in. "Unit-02 was at its most powerful when you felt valued. You wanted other people's approval when you piloted. I can't understand why. You have value even if you weren't a pilot."

"No I don't! You can't just try to make me feel better by complimenting me when it's a lie! You don't understand a thing about me-"

"Your mother killed herself to save you." Shinji guessed, acting on his own experience inside Unit-01.

"DON'T YOU DARE ACT LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY MOTHER!"

"That's exactly what she did, Asuka."

"SHUT UP!"

"If Yui Ikari or Kyoko Soryu were here, they would explain it to you." Rei cut in.

"_I_ can explain it to her, Rei. Asuka is just too _afraid_ to listen. It's really something to be _afraid_. It's the human brain's natural response to the unknown. In prehistoric times, being _afraid_ is what protected people from the unknown. Nowadays it prevents people from being their best. Being _afraid_ might stop a strong, independent girl from standing up for herself when the man who raised her conditioned her to be a doll. Being _afraid_ might prevent a boy from telling a girl that she makes him happy until after he nearly died in a fathomless black space." Rei blushed at that memory, Shinji spilling his heart to her in the hospital.

"Being _afraid_ might also prevent a different girl from hearing the truth." She finished for him.

"Alright! I get it! I'm a coward! I'm pathetic! You two are the great Shinji and Rei-"

"No Asuka, we aren't. We were just as afraid as you were. We forced ourselves to grow past that point. We want you to grow as well."

"Fine then! Educate me! It's not like you'll change anything! I still can't sync with Unit-02!"

"Maybe it's because Unit-02 doesn't like all the anger and hate you exude from inside it."

"Why would a robot-"

"It _isn't_ a robot. It's a living being regulated by a human soul. The Eva Core matches the Pilot for a reason."

"Oh, sure, what is it now, the pilot's mother?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Yes." Shinji conjectured. "Unit-01 contains the Soul of Yui Ikari. Unit-02 contains the Soul of Kyoko Soryu. What was your mother working on before you were selected to pilot, Asuka?"

"She was working on Unit-02's control system. She entered me in the roster for pilot candidates herself."

"Did she ever...maybe...go off to work one day for a 'test pilot' experiment?"

"How did you know she did that?"

"Because _my_ mom did the exact same thing for me. She entered Unit-01 before she 'died' in order to set Unit-01 up to protect me. Your mother did the exact same thing for you."

"You expect me to believe that?!"

"I want you to try. You can get yourself checked and cleared to attempt to reactivate Unit-02. Sync as closely to it as you can and think about your mother. Tell me if anything happens."

"What about Unit-00, Wondergirl?"

"I have a hypothesis about Unit-00, but I cannot say, yet. I am an orphan. I never knew my mother." Rei lied, again. She knew Asuka couldn't handle the truth about her.

"That's certainly convenient, now isn't it-"

"Why do you always act on negative thoughts and feelings?"

"Because my life was SHIT before I was an Eva pilot! It didn't get much better afterwards, either."

"Would you bet that I was the one with the most normal life, Asuka?" Shinij asked. "My dad may be Commander of NERV, but I all but gave up on him when he sent me away. I didn't know he worked for NERV until sometime last year. He and I didn't have a relationship...we still don't. I used to envy Rei for that...it was kind of a rough point when we first met."

"I have since apologized for that event, Shinji."

"All right! All our lives suck! Is that what you're trying to get at?"

"We're trying to become friends, Asuka. We need you to let go of your hate, hating us, hating your mom and dad for leaving you, and hating yourself doesn't make you more powerful. Hate leads to _suffering_."

"We both wish to become friends, _Asuka_." Rei answered, addressing her by name.

"Why would you want to become friends with me? All I do is insult you..."

"Because I don't hold on to hate, Asuka. If I did, there are many people who have done much worse than 'insult' me. I don't hate any of them."

"...You have every reason in the world to hate me-"

"No we do not, Asuka; and we do not." Shinji interrupted. Asuka's eyes watered.

"Stop it! Stop this! I don't want-"

Shinji walked up to the hospital bed and hugged her while she was sitting up. She collapsed and cried in his arms.

"I'm Sorry!" She sobbed. "Shinji's the only...person to act...like this to me! I was so...afraid to be vulnerable! To be happy...I hated Wondergirl from...the moment that I saw...you and Shinji being friends-"

Rei walked up and kneeled to Asuka's eye level. "Is that really true? Did Misato and Inspector Kaji not treat you like you wanted them to?"

"They were assigned to take care of me!"

"No, they were _priveleged_ to take care of you. You refused to allow yourself to see that."

"And what do I do about it, then? Do you have the answer for that?"

"Tell them. Thank them. Stop attempting to seduce Inspector Kaji, he has the principles to refuse you, but you degrade yourself by acting like a skank towards him."

"...I do, don't I? I don't really know how to make friends-"

"Neither do I, Shinji barged into my life anyway." = Literally. =

"That didn't happen for me-"

"Shinji and I met several months before the two of us met you, Asuka. That was just time and distance, not some conspiracy to force you to be alone."

"...I know that, I blamed you two anyway. I should-"

"Don't apologize, let's just be friends from here on out."

* * *

Ritsuko found herself standing, stark naked, amongst the SEELE Representatives.

"And what do you hope to accomplish by mocking us this way?"

"Look, I don't know! Gendo ordered me to come out here. He refused to send the First!"

"Then it would appear that Ikari's treachery is complete. We have nothing to gain by interrogating you. You may be dismissed."

"...Thank you?" Ritsuko practically ran out of the room.

After she left, the representatives began to converse amongst themselves, until Chariman Lorenz finally spoke.

"It would appear that the time has come. Japan has been led to believe that NERV has been betrayed them. Their forces are being assembled as we speak. We only need to eliminate our turncoat and there will be no way for Ikari to predict our attack."

"An agent has already been sent to intercept him, Chairman."

* * *

Kaji was watering his melons when he heard rustling behind him. He turned around and spoke to the man who approached him.

"It's about time. Were you really so dumb as to come alone?"

"You are the only target. My employers saw no need to spare the expense." He raised his weapon and a shot rang out.

Misato walked up, carrying Mari's SCAR. "Why did Mari say you need me to save you, Kaji? You can take care of yourself."

"I wanted to show you where my loyalty was. I have too much to live for to let my past mistakes drag me down. Misato, I don't work to earn NERV or SEELE's trust, I did it for yours. I need to call in a few favors from some friends, but I wanted you to have this before I left."

He produced a small box and handed it to her. She opened it to see...A ring with a penguin holding a diamond.

* * *

A/N: I want you guys to notice that the only real difference between the 'End of 2.22' scene and this plotline is that I DIDN'T use an idiotic 14 year time skip. How many problems would they have solved if they didn't wait that long to get Shinji out of Unit-01?


	29. Chapter 28: Inevitable

Answers:  
Madman: They haven't been at school to see Kensuke since the back-to-back attacks started. As for your other comment, Asuka deserves that flak and heat. Shinji, on the other hand, is justified in the decisions he makes.  
ANON: There's nothing wrong with being equally romantic and accurate with a piece, is there?  
Fanus: In regards to EOE, I plan on writing- action movie script -not- pretentious horror film.  
Fleightfire: Rei being sterile is a trait from the anime that I thought was an interesting aspect of her artifical body. Shinji's reaction is just him failing to keep his mout shut...

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 28: Inevitable

* * *

"And what did you learn, Doctor?" Gendo brought Ritsuko to his office after she returned from her trip as bait for SEELE.

"SEELE Suspects you." Ritsuko stated without surprise. "I suppose they plan to revoke NERV's power and take their Instrumentality project into their own hands. If they order the IPEA to freeze the Eva Units and transfer them to UN control, we won't have anything to resist them."

"I received a message that the Unit-02 pilot has requested another activation test. You will oversee it. If she succeeds, have the Unit equipped for life support and submerge it in the reflecting pool. Unit-06 will be placed on active alert and Unit-01 needs to come out of the bakelite-"

"Commander-"

"I don't care how unstable Unit-01 is, right now. We will not be allowing SEELE to invade Dogma."

"Isn't it odd, Commander? We're taking our greatest risks against our fellow humans and not an Angel?"

"The Angels have Strength. The Humans have _Numbers_, and SEELE will spare no expense to gain access to Lillith. Bring all pilots up to full alert and activate Unit-02."

"Absoultely, Sir."

* * *

"You're giving PenPen away?!"

Misato took a swig from her beer. "It's just temporary, Shinji. Hikari takes him in while her family finds a new place to live. This section of town is in too much danger. It's one of the prices you have to pay for being this close to NERV HQ."

"But still, is he okay with it?"

"Sure he is! Hikari basically spoils him when she's over here with Asuka." PenPen flapped his wings and squawked approvingly at Misato's side. "Speaking of Asuka, I don't know what you guys talked about, but she's back up to proper food and water intake and she wants another go at Unit-02. I need to get her ready, so you go get Rei and be in the test control room in time for the Activation."

* * *

He made the train ride to her apartment and told her the good news.

"Asuka's going to go through with it, today, Rei."

"Do you think she listened to us?"

"Well, she convinced me when she cried her eyes out yesterday. Come on, Misato wants us there watching."

"One moment, Shinji." She walked to her dresser and picked up the glasses sitting there. She looked to Shinji and threw them to the ground, the lenses shattering. She slipped an arm around his waist and started walking out; Shinji was surprised.

"You're getting more forward, Rei." Shinji said with an affectionate smirk.

"I like being reminded that this is real...I never expected to receive so much when I was created to give-"

She gasped in fright as she was hoisted up into a bridal hold, Shinji's rarely exhibited strength easily carrying her.

"You have as much of a right to be happy as anybody, Rei. I don't give a shit if you're not real, or...natural...whatever-...How _should_ I describe you, anyway?"

"Introduce me as Rei, that's all." She wrapped her arms around his neck; she enjoyed being held by him more than anything else they did together.

"I can do that, definitely." He kissed her forehead as he walked. "So, how exactly do you do that AT Field Thing?"

She thought for a moment. "Yesterday, when we were speaking to Asuka, Shinji, I said that I had a theory on Unit-00. My first..." She looked downcast when she mentioned the story.

"It's okay Rei." He said, still carrying her. "You and Naoko Akagi...That was my father's doing, too."

"Thank you, for not blaming me, Shinji. I...the last me...was not whole, in a way. Until you saved me, I did not remember being young...I think that Commander Ikari used Naoko Akagi's death to cover up Unit-00's awakening...I believe that the soul of the young Rei was inside it...I think, it was unstable because it had the memories of Commander Ikari betraying both me and Naoko...Now that I am...complete...I feel the strength of Lillith, her AT Field is under my control...While you and I were joined, you held it as well." She climbed down and resumed walking, arms around him and leaning her head against his shoulder.

* * *

"You up for this, Princess?" Mari asked in the girl's locker room.

"No, but I'm going to do it anyway." Asuka compressed her plugsuit, it shrinking to her shape and size.

"Well then, good luck in there. All four of us are going to be cheering you on!" Mari left for the control room while Asuka went to the Eva cages.

= All I know is...You'd better be right, Shinji. =

Ritsuko, Misato, the bridge crew, and the four qualified pilots watched as Unit-02's plug screwed down into the Evangelion's body.

"What was Captain Soryu's reasoning for her new attempt, Colonel?"

"Apparently, Shinji talked her into trying again, Kaworu."

He walked over to Shinji. "Then you knew of her past?"

"I took a guess...Looks like I was- mostly -right."

"Then I am proud to know that your efforts were good work and not in vain, Shinji. Perhaps she can find it in her heart to accept others, after all." Kaworu noticed Rei glaring at him; he quietly approached her as Shinij turned back to look at Unit-02

"Fifth Child," Rei nearly whispered. "I am aware of who you are."

"And I of you, Rei Ayanami. I assure you, your uneasiness towards me is no longer necessary. The failures of our past will be averted. As for your other concern...I see the way Shinji looks at you; you need not be concerned, he is entirely _your property_. I doubt I or anyone could pull him away from you. Indeed, there is someone else who I need to approach." He smiled to her and returned to Mari's side.

"Trying to mark some territory, Kaowru?"

"Not at all, Mari. I believe that I just prevented future hostility between the First Child and myself."

"Well then, that was a gentlemanly thing to do."

"Etiquette is the only lesson I received from SEELE that I appreciate, everything else was garbage-" He was cut off by Asuka on the loudspeaker.

"Hey Blondie! The plug is in and I _know_ that I'm ready this time! You can start me up anytime!"

"Since when am I 'Blondie'?!" Ritsuko steamed. "Attention all personnel! Unit-02 reactivation! Repeat, Unit-02 reactivation! Facilitate A-10 neural net connection! Attach external power! Remove restraining bolts! Okay, Asuka, just follow standard procedure, we're all rooting for you."

"Synching now...Shinji...Thank you; and Rei, one of these days Shinji's going to piss you off, and when you throw him out...I'll be there to run off with him!"

Rei took Misato's radio. "That won't happen, Captain Soryu. I've been unjustly angry at Shinji only once, and I promised myself that it won't ever happen again." She handed the radio back to Misato who's insides were jumping for joy.

= Rei and Asuka! I never would've believed it! They're acting like...friends. =

* * *

Asuka cleared her mind and forced herself not to think about her peers with negative thoughts.

= Shinji, Rei...I'm so jealous of you...I admit it now, but I'm not mad anymore...It was me being angry and vengeful that stuck me like this...I'm not the same Asuka, I promise! Shinji, you told me to think about my mom...I'll do anything to see her again-=

"That's so wonderful of you, Asuka." Came the voice in her head.

= W-who...Who was that?! =

"I'm here to apologize, Asuka. I'm sorry that you had to see me in that room, I'm sorry I died at all."

= ...M-mama...? =

"Yes Asuka, I've been here ever since I died for you...Shinji was his name, Shinji Ikari I assume? He is the Pilot for Unit-01, right?"

= Yes! He told me to find you in here...I never would've believed him! =

"...Then I guess Yui did the same thing for him...Asuka, the Eva Units are really giant human beings; they need a heart and soul to operate. I didn't want to see you hurt, so I allowed myself to die and my soul be placed in this...monster. I know my death hurt you; I had two choices. Watch you grow up alone and harsh, or watch you die from _outside_ Unit-02. I think you understand which one I chose."

= Why couldn't you tell me before now?! I hurt so many people because I _thought_ I was alone! =

"You needed to learn that you weren't alone, Asuka, ever. I know you don't like your father and stepmother, but they support you. I see how you don't recognize Colonel Katsuragi's affection and misplace Mr. Kaji's. They both love you as parents should, Mr. Kaji practically raised you in the past, and Colonel Katsuragi is trying to do so now. You aren't alone, Asuka, and I can finally tell you that myself."

= I thought I _was_ after the Thirteenth Angel attacked us, mama...Rei saved me and Shinji tried to help me; I was just so jealous of them that I hated them both...Rei didn't even have a personality but Shinji was tripping over himself to get to her- =

"So? Why's it so important that you get a boyfriend, anyway?"

= Because I HATED being alone more than anything else! I saw that Rei wasn't alone, and I saw her as the enemy! =

"You do realise that it's the Angels that are the enemy, now, don't you?"

= Yes! That's why I got back in here! That's why I let Shinji talk me into syncing again! That's why- =

* * *

"What's her status, Maya?"

"I don't believe this! She's gone _way_ beyond 100% and is still stable! It's like the Eva welcomed her back to the controls!"

"That may be _exactly_ what happened-"

The building shook, chunks of the concrete ceiling collapsed and rained down on the resting Eva Unit. The facility's sirens blared and the intercom system sounded Commander Ikari's voice throughout the pyramid.

"This is the Commander speaking! Now hear this! All personnel are to move to full combat alert! JSDF Forces have launched a surprise attack without formal warning or notification! As we are a United Nations organization, we are now at war with the Japanese military. All non-Evangelion personnel are to move to close quarters infantry positions to repel invaders! Evangelion personnel prepare for the launch of Evangelion Units! Dr. Akagi, proceed to MAGI sublevel to oversee cyberdefense operations!"

Misato took over command of the test area, looking to Ritsuko for answers. "What happened to Unit-02?!"

"The shockwave from the attack shook Asuka out of sync. She doesn't appear to be injured and can be launched after she resyncs. Kaworu will move to Unit-06 and I'll have Shinji loaded into Unit-01's plug and kept safe there, the bakelite can stand up to anything short of a missile barrage. Illustrious and Ayanami don't have their Units anymore, they need to be sent to a shelter."

"Good, after your done prepping the pilots, get to the computer level like the Commander said, Maya, Shigeru, and Makoto are with me, we're going back to the bridge!"

"YES MA'AM!"

* * *

Inside the Eva lockers, Shinji and Kaworu were getting dressed.

"Why are we being attacked by our own people?!" Shinji asked as he compressed his suit.

"SEELE, that's why."

"The people who fund us?"

"They think that they can use Third Impact to make themselves gods. It has been proven in the past that they would fail, but they refuse to learn." Kaworu's face was red with hatred for his former masters. They left to see Mari, Rei, and Ritsuko waiting for them. "Mari, go get your suit on, I will need your assistance inside Unit-06."

"It can carry two?"

"Yes, now we don't have much time." He watched as she darted into the girls' lockers.

"Kaworu-" Ritsuko started.

"I _do_ require her help, Doctor. Unit-06 is a fickle beast."

"Fine, I guess 06 is too new for me to understand after all. You two get plugged." She turned to Shinji and Rei and brought them to a storage room outside the Eva cages. "This is what we got out of Unit-00. I was going to give them to Rei if Commander Ikari ordered her to continue with sync tests. Shinji, since you might have to go out, I'll let you take them as a good luck charm."

Ritsuko opened a paper-wrapped package to show Shinji's SDAT and Rei's white plugsuit. "They were both untouched and undamaged after the explosion...almost like they were protected by an AT field. The official reports say we found an empty entry plug, because that's exactly what me and the rescue crew saw that day. I guess Shinji really did save you that day, Rei." She handed the package to Shinji. "Go get in Unit-01, Shinji, and wait there. It's up to its plug port in bakelite. We'll only be getting you out if we need you to fight. Nobody from the JSDF will be able to harm you. Rei, come with me, your old room is probably the safest place for you."

"Yes ma'am." She pressed Shinji up against a wall and kissed him before leaving with Ritsuko.

* * *

Misato and the bridge crew found Professor Fuyutsuki at the Commander's Desk.

"Professor, where is-"

"He's somewhere near medical right now, I am unsure when the Commander will arrive. Don't worry, Colonel. The two of us can oversee the operations in his absence."

"Yes, Sir. What's the status on the counter-invasion forces?"

"Anti-infantry personnel are getting equipped as we speak. We've sealed off all entrances; the JSDF is approaching with anti-armor, so I suppose they plan to blast their way in-"

An earth-shattering explosion was shown on the bridge viewscreen, one of the massive Eva launch doors had just been blown open when the radio in the bridge spoke.

* * *

Meanwhile at 23,000 feet

A Mitsubushi F-2 Super Falcon was leading a flight of four Luftwaffe Sukhoi Su-35 Super Flankers from Kadena Air Base at Okinawa. The flight lead issued an order as they passed over

"Werner Flight, tune radio and IFF to 141.15 and target these coordinates for JDAM strike."

"Roger, Inspector. Prepping strike package." Came the German-accented reply.

The five planes each dropped a 400 Kilogram GPS guided bomb onto one of NERV's Eva launch doors. The 2000 Kilogram combined explosion blew the doors open and the flight began their dive into the Geofront.

"When we enter the dome it's going to be tight quarters with lots of ground targets! We're going to support Unit-02 and the rest of the Eva Units. The JSDF is launching a black op armored invasion of NERV HQ; there is no official sanctioning for anything that happens today, boys. That means we do _anything_ to destroy the invasion forces!"

"Roger, we'll show them what happens when they attack a member of _our_ German Air Force!"

"What was that!?" Came a female voice over the radio.

"I love that voice, you know that Misato?" They all heard Kaji's voice in the bridge.

"KAJI?! What the hell are you doing?!"

"I called my Luftwaffe buddies in Werner flight, they didn't like learning about the JSDF's plan to kill Unit-02 and Asuka. NERV now has air support."

The five planes entered the dome and began tightly hugging the ceiling while the pilots identified the JSDF's tanks and troop carriers on the ground. Targeting computers calcualted the best drop points and flight paths for the bomb and missile loads as JSDF VTOLS began to flee.

"Focus on Gun kills for the VTOLS; they're big, slow targets and we need to save missiles for the ground strike."

"Roger, Inspector." The flight broke up into individual attackers and opened the VTOL season. The large hovering craft couldn't manouver fast enough to escape the cannon fire and wave after wave fell to the lethal fighters; the JSDF knew NERV doesn't have an Air Force and didn't bring any fighter escorts, their most expensive decision of the day.

"Air is clean, Werner. Misato, if Unit-02 isn't out yet, let me recommend that she equip one of the battery packs, she's going to need it."

"I agree. Delay Unit-02's launch and get her a Lithium Pack!"

Werner flight dropped their bombs and missiled the ground armor. The JSDF's lack of air cover was their greatest weakness on this day. Only a small number of troop carriers, a fraction of the original attack, made it to NERV's truck loading bays.

"Inspector, Werner Lead. We're Bingo ordinance and need to bug out."

"Roger Werner, no problem. NERV can take care of themselves from here on out. Misato, you've got three or four truckloads of men to deal with...Just like college, amirite?!"

"SHUT YOUR FACE!"

Kaji laughed like a maniac as the five planes ascended, single file, through the gaping hole in the upper city...only to come within viewing distance of of nine massive flying wings carrying stark white Evangelion Units flying towards Tokyo-3.

"Werner, this is Kaji...those things don't look friendly...What's your weapon status?"

"Werner One through Four...two short range Air-Air missiles per bird, no more Air-Ground."

"Paint the flying wings as your targets, fire your missiles, and lets get the hell out of here."

The five planes found radar lock on the otherworldy aircraft and fired...Only for the missiles to explode a distance away from their targets against formerly-invisible orange fields in front of them.

"AT Fields! They're Evas, alright...Asuka's going to have to handle them, open your throttles and lets get home, _fast_."

* * *

"Asuka, are you ready?"

"I was ready ten minutes ago! Whatever's up there is MINE!" Came Asuka's bloodthirsty reply.

The catapult sparked and ground its metal as it fired up to the GeoFront's ground level. Asuka plugged into a power cable and waited.

In Unit-06's cage, Kaworu stopped a maintainence chief before he entered his Eva.

"Technical Sergeant, would it be possible to create a length of power cable with a port on each end, in case we needed to connect one Eva Unit to another?"

"You know, son, the Eva _does_ have power input and output, so I think it could be possible, but you'd be running off batteries for both-"

"Not true in my case, Unit-06 has a functional internal power supply."

"...Then my team can splice together two cable ends in less than 20 minutes."

"And not a moment later, Captain Soryu will require all the assistance she can get."

He led Mari to Unit-06 and motioned for her to get seated in the plug first.

"Kaworu, you told Ritzy that there was room for two, here."

"I told a half-truth. I'm bringing you because I know that you are skilled at cross-synching between Evangelions and I may need to exit during our operation. So, you need to be first."

Mari climbed in and sat in the plug, only for Kaworu to climb in her lap. Mari was shivering with delight. "Kaworu...this might be the best moment of both our lives-"

"You'll see why I need to do this soon, Mari. For now, take the controls." Mari snaked her arms through Kaworu's and held the Eva's twin joysticks.

"We have the Lance, Mari. As long as that doesn't change, we can't be beaten."

* * *

Asuka was watching as the Nine Evangelions climbed through the hole in Tokyo-3, falling and landing before her. "You cheap imitations don't have a chance against a real Evangelion! Let's go, Mom!" She charged into the swarm of Eva Units and wasted no time with any one target. She would move to stabbing distance of a Unit and strike, jump to another Unit and slash through it with Unit-02's plasma knives, then punch a hole through the chest of a third.

Unit-02 was focused less on scoring knife hits than deftly avoiding the nine Evangelion Knockoffs' attacks As one mass-produced Unit would move to stab Unit-02 with the Eva-sized spears they were carrying, Asuka would jump over and dive under the other eight. A classic combat furball was the result, such a mass of cyborg arms and legs jumping, punching, and kicking tore up the ground under them and threw up clouds of dust and dirt in such a volume that any observers could no longer identify any of the ten monsters locked in the brawl.

* * *

Four trucks of sixteen JSDF special forces soldiers unloaded in NERV's docking bays, and their anti-armor units blew their loading doors open with C4 charges. At the ground level, they only encountered NERV's surface security, as the couterinvasion teams were drawn below, closer to the bridge. The JSDF began indiscriminately slaying any personnel in the facilities. Their squad leaders recieved orders to hold and wait at the locked security doors as compute clusters at military bases across the planet made attempts to overpower the MAGI's control of HQ. One-by-one, doors opened and invasion turrets went offline as Ritsuko attempted to preserve the MAGI's data control, slowly failing due to the sheer volume of international brute-force attacks.

The JSDF enroached on NERV's medical wings as one _very_ high ranking officer was recieving surgery recovery dressings on his right hand. He had ordered one of the surgeons to implant a...thing...into his hand and that surgeon was surprised when the surgery was completed without incident, Commander Ikari's body accepted the implant without any rejection risk. The gentlemen heard gunfire throughout their hallways. Commander Ikari drew a PM-9 from his coat and stepped into the hallway, flooding it with the submachine gun's hail of ammunition, interrupting the JSDF's advance as the Commander escaped. With the Commander's leave; the only source of resistance going with him, the JSDF began mindlessly slaughtering the onsite doctors, nurses, and patients in the hospital areas.

By the time the JSDF made it far enough to reach the bridge, 12 of the 64 invading soldiers had fallen to NERV's security, while the JSDF already had more than two hundred kills to their records, primarily from the war crimes they committed in the hospital. Misato radioed Asuka to tell her that she'd be losing contact with the bridge as NERV's internal crews defended themselves. She moved to a compartment by the terminals and extracted vests and SMG's for the bridge personnel, tossing one of each to Shigeru, Makoto, and Maya before ordering the support staff to line up and get equipped.

Maya started to panic as she stared at her weapon. "I've only ever shot at targets, before! I can't hurt anybody else! Why are we killing each other?!"

"Dammit, Maya!" Shigeru answered her from his position. "Today is different, YOU FIGHT- OR -YOU DIE!"

"That's right." Misato aggreed as she returned. She was wearing a full armor cover with shoulder and thigh protection and was checking Mari's SCAR before anything arrived. "We don't know how many are left, but we have to stop them from making it down to the Eva cages of the shelters. If the JSDF reaches any of our pilots, then we lose! If we die today, make sure you don't go it alone, take three or four of them with you!"

* * *

The nine Evangelions had yet to put a real injury on Unit-02, as Asuka's bloodlust translated into the most viscious performance she had ever provided. Unit-02 would move from knife strikes to punches to animalistic bites and claw swipes, with bleached-white, giant arms and legs strewn about the battlefield. One dismembered knockoff wormed its way to Unit-02's power junction and took an Evangelion-sized bite out of the power cable. Asuka heard the power warning and saw the 11-minute time limit begin to count down as the mass-produced Evangelions somehow resurrected themselves, crawling over to their severed arms and legs and reattaching them, writing and thrashing on the ground until they could regain enough strength and footing to stand and challenge Unit-02 to a second round.

"RITSUKO! If you can hear me, tell me what the hell is happening with these freaks!"

"Asuka," Ritsuko's voice came to life on the radio. "I'm watching the fight from the outdoor cameras. I didn't think it was possible, but I think those Evas have sustainable cores! You have to puncture the red core in their chest, just like an Angel!"

"Excellent. I've got 8 minutes to bring hell on earth to these bastards, and I'm gonna use every second of it!" She whipped her two progressive knives back out and lit their plasma cutters, jumping into the crowd of healing Evangelions.

* * *

"Alright, Unit-06, we just installed your dual-Eva cable." The Eva crew chief told them over the radio. "Sensors show Unit-02 out there running on vapors, so she could use your help any second now!"

"Not yet, we're breaking into the bridge."

A small cluster of JSDF soldiers were the first to blow through the security doors to the bridge. They were met with concentrated fire through the doors. Misato, the two male bridge crewmen, and several support staff were waiting for them. The JSDF regrouped and returned fire through the opened doors only for their bullets to halt against an orange...wall. A black and gray armored giant tore through the concrete wall into the bridge and projected its AT field between the JSDF and the bridge crew

"Government lapdogs." Kaworu's voice sounded through the Eva's loudspeakers. "Lower your weapons and surrender, or face destruction. We do not have time to negotiate." The JSDF squads that witnessed Unit-06's launch dropped their rifles and froze. Misato and the bridge crew ran to surround them at gunpoint as Unit-06 and its two pilots stepped through the hole in the bridge area and locked into the elevator. They shot up to ground level and sprinted the godlike beast to the chaotic scene starring Asuka and Unit-02.

"Captain Soryu, fire your power coupling and connect to our cable."

"What in the world are you planning, Fifth?" She asked as she threw one of the Eva knockoffs off of her throat.

"I'm extending your battery life. The S2 Core in Unit-06 is perfect." Unit-06 attached the free end of their custom power cable and Unit-02 roared with the new source of power. Asuka watched as the battery life countdown was cancelled and read the new power readings as they extended back to maximum. "You must stay within the range of this cable, Captain, or else you will be stranded _again._" Kaworu and Mari drew the majestic, red forked spear from their shoulder and stood with Asuka before the nine resurrected mass-produced Evangelions. Two of humanity's greatest weapons were wielding one of the weapons of a god. A cynical person would almost feel sorry for the nine targets.

Unit-02 jumped in the lead, with Unit-06 following closely after. They landed, back to back, burning knives and Lance brandished towards the beasts surrouning them. Asuka offered her knowledge of their weakness.

"Their core is visible, lets just waste them and not waste time!"

They both invited the feral Eva Units to attack. Several of the Units charged at once, Kaworu watched Mari's hands as she manipulated the Lance, spearing two of them in tandem. The alien weapon served its purpose perfectly, the near-supernatural material in its construction reacting with the mass-produced Units' cores and causing them to collapse with no effort on Unit-06's part whatsoever. Kaworu was amazed at Mari's control of an Evangelion Unit she had never trained on before. She was savage and animal-like, but still retained an air of expertise that he wouldn't have expected in someone as undisciplined as her.

Asuka didn't have the advantage of the perfect weapon and was instead grappling with a third abomination as she saw herself in Unit-02. = If we win today, what happens next? I've been so obsessed with piloting I've never even thought about what happens after the Angels die. I never thought about not piloting...I've been a paid Eva pilot for 7 years...If the war ends, they'll probably deactivate me...Hell, I'm rich enough to retire right now if I wanted to...If I win today...I'm free...free to do...anything...free to...live..._These bastards are MINE!_ = She tore away from the white beast and whipped her two burning knives across the Eva's chest, slicing the core into thirds as they passed through it. "WHICH ONE OF YOU IS NEXT?!" She jumped and tackled the closest target, Asuka hungry for Eva core.

Mari and Kaworu were making the job look easy. The Lance had been pulled from the two corpses and they were now practically fencing with a fifth target, it wielding a spear and challenging them. Mari screamed and Unit-06 mirrored her movements, catching the spear between its teeth and snapping it in half, then swinging the Lance through the core. "This is just so FUN, Kaworu! Eva is what I live for!" She cackled in evil laughter as she baited a sixth into sprinting towards her, only for it to impale itself on the Lance as she held it out in front of her.

"THREE MORE!" Asuka manually ejected the power supply and sprinted away, opening a distance between two targets following her. =10 minutes. I can kill plenty in that time! = She spun Unit-02 around and jumped high, knives out in front as she landed on the seventh, ripping and tearing away its flesh as she cut and stabbed at the core, it eventually cracking and spewing LCL and blood in a sick and demented shower over Unit-02. Asuka basked in the gruesome display, bathing in the essence of her fallen enemy until she heard a sharp bursting sound on her back. This was the second time Unit-02's external battery was about to explode. She tore it away and slung it into the arms of the eighth Unit, Asuka laughing in mad delight as it was enveloped in plasma and electrical fire. Her celebration was cut short when she was tackled by the ninth, its fanged grin leering down at her. It reared back and opened its jaws to bite as a red fork tore through its neck, the core fading out as it hung limply on the Lance. Mari walked up to the final opponent and visciously tore the Lance from its body and opened a video channel to Asuka.

"Hey Princess! I think you've lost your touch! Why in the world would _you_ have to get rescued by little old _me_?!"

"SHUT UP, FOUR EYES!"

* * *

Shinji looked lovingly at the empty white plugsuit he was carrying with him inside Unit-01. = Maybe Kaworu and Asuka can win and I won't even have to go out there. If this all ends...Rei and I can just be happy together. I hope she's okay, wherever Ritsuko took her..."

* * *

Rei had left her old apartment room and walked to the dummy plug storage. She looked into the LCL tank to see the liquified remains of her sisters. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around. Commander Ikari was standing in the doorway.

"Rei. You're here. This is good news."

She stared blankly at him then turned back to the tank. "Why? Why did they have to die?"

"You were betrayed, Rei. Ritsuko Akagi destroyed the others of your family and she destroyed my chances at peace. We can change that, today. Please, come with me."

= Please, come with me. Please, come with me. Please, come with me. Please, come with me.=

The preprogrammed order enacted itself deep inside Rei's mind. She began to unthinkingly shed her clothes. Her shoes and knee socks, then her school dress and blouse, and finally the same innocent white bra and panties that she had affectionately modeled for Shinji the day before, all fell to the ground. She blindly followed Commander Ikari down the terminal shafts towards Lillith's prison.

* * *

A/N: EVIL CLIFFHANGER! MUWHAHAHA  
On a more serious note, I started this story as an experiment to improve my own opinion of the series after watching the _terrible_ Rebuild 3.0 (which sucks for me because 2.0 is one of my favorite anime films ever) As this story nears its end, I daresay I succeeded. I'm really happy with how its turning out, and I'm looking forward to the reactions that I get from my regular reviewers, and for you new folks, this is the perfect opportunity to start guessing where I take the story!


	30. Chapter 29: Curse

Answers:  
Benenator and Fanus: The thing about Rebuild 3.0 is that it only stands up on its own. As a piece of the Rebuild franchise, it completely fails. 2.0 and 3.0 have zero continuity and context between them, and that makes 3.0 feel out of place and unnecessary.  
ANON: The difference is that happy endings need to be fought for.  
Fleight: She snaps out of it, you'll see

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 29: Curse

* * *

"Bridge is secure. Repeat, bridge is secure!" Misato kicked a JSDF soldier in the gut and watched him dry heave.

"Ma'am, keep your weapons free, JSDF squads are still moving throughout facilities. They came prepped for anti-armor, our equipment isn't rated for anything over Type 3A fire-" The command bridge's radio echoed with the explosion that killed the latest squad of NERV Security.

"LT? LT?!...Security's down for administrative offices...we have to assume the worst for personnel and facilities staff...Don't give me those looks! We have to stay alert! Keep the bridge under guard, there's more of them coming!"

"Alright, asshole, who's your commanding officer?" She glared down to the crumpled soldier at her feet.

"Dead."

"Wrong answer. Who ordered this invasion?"

"We were delivered the orders via dead drop, we don't have a contact."

"You're making me _dislike_ you. What's your objective?"

"Eliminate NERV personnel."

"Oh, sounds like fun! Wish I could be in on it!" * BANG * "I appreciate your cooperation, soldier." Misato smirked at the hole in the man's head.

* * *

"So...Is that it?" Asuka looked around her battlefield, chunks of the Nine automated Evangelion Units strewn around Units 02 and 06.

"Looks like it...Damn, it was just getting fun, too."

"Not quite, Mari. Unit-02, please reconnect your power." Kaworu stated from in front of her. "SEELE will only get more desperate, and I have no doubt that our Commander is using any tool he has to outpace them...We must remain vigilant."

"Hey, that means more time trapped in a confined space with you! I'm not complaining."

"Yes, you've verbalized your attachment to my physique in the past. It's amazing that such a capable pilot can be so airheaded."

"Admit it, you wouldn't want me any other way!" Mari squeezed him in a hug and Kaworu struggled under the unhinged girl's strength.

* * *

Gendo and his charge had made it past the MAGI sublevel. Really, Gendo never had much luck with women scorned...

"Dammit, Gendo, are you really too blind to see it?! Tell me, you're willing to destroy so much, what is it you expect to create?"

"A future. A future with mankind's golden age-"

"That's complete bullshit! I don't believe it, Gendo...You really would kill that _little girl_ behind you in order to see your dead wife again." Ritsuko changed her expression to a thoughtful, almost happy appearance. "You know...I knew Yui, while I was still in college. Mom had me performing undergraduate research for her...She was pregnant with Shinji at the time, and I know that she would _never_ allow Shinji to suffer life in the world you're about to create!"

"She lacks vision, then. I can create a world without pain, a world where a son won't be affected by his father leaving him-"

"Or you could have just stayed _with_ your son in the real world, like Yui would have wanted you to!"

"This is my apology to him-" Gendo stopped as Ritsuko drew a small tablet computer from her labcoat.

"Everybody in this facility is willing to die to stop the Impact, Gendo." She began the sequence to self-destruct NERV HQ. "You won't be destroying the world today."

"OLD HAG!" Gendo roared with hate as he drew his weapon on Ritsuko.

* * *

= Old Hag...An insulting statement. Insults are meant to degrade others...Commander Ikari insulted Dr. Naoko in the same fashion.

Insult...Degrade...Hate.

Hate...Kill...Weapon.

Weapon to kill Dr. Ritsuko.

Dr. Ritsuko...LCL Chamber...Shinji...Shinji.

Shinji...Rei...Us.

Us...Together...Forever. =

* * *

Gendo fired his SMG, a stream of bullets moving at hypersonic speed...into an orange hexagon projected in front of Ritsuko. Ritsuko and Gendo both reacted with shock, Gendo dropping his weapon and turning to face Rei. "Rei! What are you doing!?"

"Commander Ikari...Selfishness...Murder.

Ritsuko...Blindness...Ignorance.

Commander...Murder...Ritsuko.

Rei...Commander...Rebellion.

Rei...Doll...No.

I am not a doll.

I am not your puppet for you to control." She raised her hand and formed an AT field, causing it to slash across Commander Ikari's right arm, severing it; the embryonic remains of the First Angel dropping to the ground inside it.

Commander Ikari felt no pain, the field severed the nerves in his arm faster than his human body could sense the attack. He froze, staring at the stump of his elbow, cleanly sliced and cauterized. Rei walked to the arm and took it with her as she continued down the hallways. Ritsuko moved in front of her.

"Rei, please don't do this-"

"I have no ill will against you, Doctor. I am preventing the world from falling to men like Gendo Ikari." She conjured an AT field that she used to snatch Ritsuko's control from her. Rei brushed past her as she walked.

"Rei, don't do this! Rei! Rei!"

* * *

= Just please be okay...Just please be okay...Just please be okay- =

The entirety of NERV HQ shook in an earthquake, Shinji was rattled away from his mantra about Rei. When he heard a voice in his head.

"Shinji, I think that we're going to have to go to work, very soon."

= Mom...What was that? =

"I have a feeling that it was your father's doing...If my guess is correct, I'll deal with it, you just focus on getting us activated."

= Right! = He cleared his mind and brought his connection to Unit-01 as closely as he could, feeling the power of the two Angels that Unit-01 was now the master of. He struggled at the controls to slowly grind Unit-01 and break it through the bakelite shell it was encased in.

* * *

= I can be with him...Forever... = Rei looked at the white, fleshy giant suspended before her. She looked down at the severed arm of Gendo Ikari, closed her eyes, and pressed the remains of Adam into her chest. The heat from the radiated AT Field filled her; she felt herself becoming weightless as she lifted off the ground. She looked to the towering form of the Second Angel and felt herself moving toward it.

She spoke her intentions as she faced Lillith. "Let us go. Shinji Ikari needs me."

The alien god's leathery flesh split and created a vacuum that slung Rei deep inside its body. Lillith felt the power of the soul stolen from it, as well as the new passenger it was carrying. With this power, it tore away from the towering frame and bolts that bound it to its prison. Lillith stumbled through the lake of LCL below it before learning to use its legs again, the extremities had once been claimed from it as it was held, bound by the Lance of Longinus.

The formerly anonymous and formless humanoid giant quickly healed its cuts and puncture wounds, the Angel's flesh closing over the wounds gushing with LCL, the alien liquid's source closing up and running dry. The mask over its face fell away, exposing the recognizable face of Rei Ayanami. The Angel's body, once blubbery and deformed, molded to Rei's trim and gentle figure, magnified to the size of a skyscraper. She floated off of the surface, her alien anatomy passing like a ghost through the solid, armored ceilings above her as she began her path to the surface of the GeoFront.

* * *

"JUST. A LITTLE. BIT. MORE!" Shinji shouted with power as Unit-01 tore from the Bakelite around it, the pyramid that housed it convulsing by the earthquake caused by the giant currently escaping its prison, hundreds of feet below it. "MISATO!...MISATO!"

"I'm here, Shinji-"

"Great!" He cut her off. "Prep a catapult for me! I'm launching out!"

"No! Kaworu and Asuka are winning! Shinji you'll be in too much- AAAAAAHHH!" Misato screamed in bloody terror as the white giant bearing Rei's face emerged from the bridge's floor. The Angels body passed through several solid walls and floors, the bridge crew staring in shock at the mockery of physics and natural law. The hand of the giant drifted through Maya Ibuki's terminal. As it passed through her body, Maya's state of mind shattered, the formerly congenial young woman collapsed into a shivering heap on the ground, sreaming and muttering incoherent things about biology and being violated.

Misato's radio crackled back to life. "MISATO! What happended!?"

"It'...IT'S REI!" Misato screamed again at the alien doppelganger. Shinji paled. His exposure to Rei's memory told him exactly what was happening.

"NO! GOD NO! MISATO, LAUNCH ME OUT! NOW!"

The ground where Units 02 and 06 were standing began to shake. Cracks formed in the stone and dirt as chunks of earth erupted from the ground in a shower of heavy debris, Asuka and Mari sheltered their Units under their AT Fields.

"Mari," Kaworu stated from in front of her, "It would seem that my prediction was accurate. We must separate for a time, please extend the entry plug."

"But Kaworu-" She pouted to him.

"Yes, yes, you're cute when you're flustered. You can squeeze up against me after we overpower this new opponent-"

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Asuka's voice erupted over the comm channel. Kaworu and Mari watched as the white giant burst from the ground. The being stood in solitude, surveying the battlefield and the two giants likely to challenge it.

"Is that Watergirl!"

"Yes, my colleagues. Rei Ayanami, the human embodiment of the Second Angel, vessel of the Angel's soul. The Corrupt Ikari has finally acted on his control over her." Unit-06's plug partially extended from its back, Kaworu opened the hatch as the LCL condensed and began to spill out the door, and jumped to the ground.

"What the hell is Fifth doing?!"

"Don't worry, Princess, he'll be perfectly fine! Kaworu's got it all under control! He's much tougher than his lean, thin, narrow, sinewy, toned, unblemished-"

"MARI!"

"...Well excuse me, Princess! Find your own half-Angel hunk of a man!"

"HALF WHAT!?"

"Kaworu's based on Adam just like Watergirl looks like she's based on Lillith, they're probably gonna kick each other's ass!"

Mari just finished swooning over Kaworu as Unit-01 shot from a launch rail.

"ASUKA, KAWORU, MARI! REI IS-"

"We already know, Puppy boy, Kaworu has a plan."

"What is it?!"

"You three must listen to me." Kaworu was heard over their radios. "Raise your Unit's Fields to their most power. Captain Soryu, do not blow your power connection, Unit-06 is the only thing keeping you strong enough to fight. We must surround her, one position at each of the cardinal directions. I will move to her North. Mari will take the South position and look to me. Shinji will take the East and Asuka goes West. We must use our AT Fields to box her in!"

"You heard the man! Princess comes with me, stay to my left and don't snap that cable! Shinji you-AAAAAAAHHH!" Mari screamed at the ghostly girl floating before her.

"Mari! What's wrong!...Wait, Rei!" Shinji gasped at the spectral figure of Rei Ayanami, floating before him in Unit-01's entry plug. Inside NERV HQ, the bodies of the fallen soldiers and dead civilians burst into LCL, their clothing and equipment the only trace of their former existence. A living observer would have seen what looked like glowing twin counterparts of a blue haired girl standing over the pools of LCL.

"Listen to me, all of you!" Kaworu shouted over the radio. "She doesn't _yet_ have the power to break the fields of living people, only the recently dead! Ignore the specters and form around her before she increases her strength!"

Mari forced her composure and she dragged Unit-02 to the West of Lillith while she continued to the South. Shinji blinked away from the image of Rei and ran to Lillith's East. Kaworu, floating to Lillith's head level, was suspended at her North. They heard a whispering voice traveling across the surface of the earth. Rei's voice.

* * *

"Shinji. I can make us whole. We can be safe together, happy together, forever together."

= I'm an Eva Pilot. I'm terrified. I can embrace my fear, I understand my fear. I will not let my feelings affect my ability to reason. My mind is stronger than this. My mind is stronger than my fear...I want Rei, but I don't want her like this! = Shinji answered her. "Is that what this is about?! Rei, we could've already done that! You don't need to end the world to be with me!"

* * *

_Love is blindness, I don't want to see. Won't you wrap the night;  
Around me? Oh my heart. Love is blindness._

* * *

"All of you! Increase AT Field power!" Kaworu felt Lillith's field burning against him. In Kaworu's past, he knew that he was part of this end, he helped bring Shinji into Lillith to complete Instrumentality. This time, he would stop it. "If she is allowed to expand her field, the world ends today!"

Rei's voice sounded again. "Shinji...You were abandoned by your father, used by Colonel Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi, and abused by Captain Soryu...You have suffered so greatly. I wish for suffering to end..."

"You were always smarter than me, Rei. Do you remember in our geology class when we talked about diamonds? They start out as coal lumps, but after they _suffer_ through thousands of degrees of heat and thousands of kilograms of pressure, they emerge clean, clear, and _unbreakable_. I could've cracked under the heat and pressure. I _wanted_ to! You wouldn't let me, Kaji wouldn't let me. You, him, Misato, even Asuka. You all made me stronger! I understand now. I'd rather live in a world with suffering if it meant that I get to pursue _my own_ relief, _my own_ happiness!"

* * *

_In a parked car. In a crowded street. You see your love Made complete.  
The Thread is ripping, The knot is slipping. Love is blindness._

* * *

"Shinji, _Stupid Shinji_?!" = Why could he never act like this to me?! He still wants that _freak_! = Asuka was boiling in anger. Rei betrayed the entire human race, she was trying to end the world to chase a boy, and that boy was being respectful, no, _understanding_ to her!

"It isn't the only reason, Asuka"

"YOU GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW WONDERGIRL!"

"I want a world where there will be no more abuse, no more assault. You've punched Shinji, you've kicked Shinji, you've emotionally mocked him."

"I've changed! I'm the one who's grown, not you! If you do this 'thing', there won't be the ability for people to grow-"

"People won't regress to their old ways, either."

"That's a danger of being free! That's what we've been fighting for this entire time! Why would you throw that freedom away!"

"I have never been free."

"That's not true! Shinji saw to it that you were! You're as real as I am, I was just too much of a bitch to care! Please don't do this, IT'S NOT WORTH IT!"

* * *

_Love is clockworks, And cold steel. Fingers too numb to feel.  
Squeeze the handle. Blow out the candle. Love is blindness._

* * *

The bridge crew watched in shock, the three Eva Units and one levitating boy had surrounded Lillith, who was straining against the AT Field-powered cage they trapped her in. Misato looked to Makoto who suddenly gasped and began passionately kissing the air in front of him.

"Misato! Oh, Misato!" He said. Misato facepalmed. She saw Aoba swatting at the air in front of him, trying to fight off some invisible attacker. = Just what the hell is he doing? Is everybody around me going batshit insane?! = Maya was clutching the air, crying and acting like she was trying to hug somebody.

"Doctor! Doctor!" Maya broke down into joyful tears as she felt herself being held by her idol.

"Doctor? Really?" Misato said to herself. = I never would of guessed that Maya...oh, whatever. = She turned to look behind her, where she saw Kaji smiling to her, one hand on Shinji's shoulder, as they walked up to her. They wrapped her in a family hug, Misato tearing up over the two most important men in her life. =...Wait. I feel...Cold. = Misato steeled her expression and tore away from the embrace, the two specters of who she loved most vanishing in the air before her. She came to a realization = Instrumentality...Rei is being used to complete it! The Eva's are holding her back! = She grabbed her radio. "Eva Pilots listen to me! Whatever happens, don't let your AT Fields down!"

"We...know that...Misato!" She heard Asuka cringing under the stress.

* * *

_Love is blindness. I don't want to see. Won't you wrap the night Around me.  
Oh my love, love is Blindness._

* * *

Ritsuko was crumpled on the floor of Terminal Dogma, she knew that the end was near. She felt something take her hand and lift her to her feet. A glowing specter of Naoko Akagi hoisted her up and tugged her back to where Gendo Ikari was simply standing in shock. All his plans to regain what he once lost had been derailed by a teenage girl's attachment to his son.

Ritsuko glared at him as they arrived, until she felt Naoko lift and turn her chin with her hand. She shook her head to Ritsuko as her voice filled her head.

"No hate, my daughter. No vengeful thoughts. The one most qualified to deliver justice to Gendo Ikari will be arriving soon."

Ritsuko froze. "...Mother!?"

"Not entirely, dear, but enough of me to know that your vengance on Gendo is unnecessary. Watch."

A frail, gentle-faced woman with short brown hair and wearing a lab coat entered Ritsuko's field of view. "...Yui!"

Naoko's old friend answered Ritsuko. "Not quite, most of me is still in Unit-01, I need to get back there soon, I have to help my son."

"Then it's true-"

"Of course it is, your mother could've told you that; don't cry for me. I need to be in Unit-01, just like Gendo and I need to have a talk."

His broken, dead-sounding voice entered the conversation. "Yui...Yui!" He ran to her, only to be stopped with a hand around his neck. It felt cold, very cold.

"Hello, dear. You've been busy in my absence. You abandoned my son because he reminded you of me. You combined _my_ blood with the flesh and soul of the very Angel we were hoping to restrain in order to bring _her _to life...I suppose I should thank you for that, really; because the innocent young girl that resulted from your insane plan just happens to be the perfect match for my son. No, he isn't _your_ son, _not anymore_. But that wasn't good enough for you, was it? You then had to use that poor girl as your personal lab rat! Just what other experiments did you use her for, besides the dummy plugs? That's enough, really, to know that I'm well within my good judgment when I _end you_. You don't have a heart, Gendo Ikari, I'm going to make sure your body matches your soul."

She placed her other hand over his chest. He gasped and cringed in pain that spread from his chest, to his arms, then to his legs. He labored to breathe but proceeded to suffocate in the after effects of the sudden cardiac arrest his ghostly wife enacted upon him. A few minutes of suffering later, he collapsed on the ground, dead. His body liquefied before the ghostly blue-haired girl that appeared.

* * *

_A little death, Without warning. No call, And no mourning.  
Baby...a dangerous idea...That almost makes sense._

* * *

"Listen, Rei! So what if there's no suffering? There'll be no relief, either!"

"Contentment and goodwill will remain, Shinji."

"No it won't! There'll be no 'good' or 'evil'! There won't be happiness or sadness, only sameness! What's the point of living as one big singular...thing...when all the traits that make us people; the traits that made Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami are thrown away! We'd be worse than dolls, we'd be tombstones! This idea you have, living forever is the _same as simply dying! There's no difference! Immortality is a curse!_ Good needs Evil in order for it to survive, if there's no 'bad' then 'good' loses its definition! If there's no 'death' then life is meaningless! I don't want that! And the Rei I love wouldn't, either! I love her enough to fight what she's become!"

* * *

_Love is drowning, In a deep well. All the secrets, And no one to tell.  
Take the money, Honey, Blindness._

* * *

"Keep your fields strong, all of you!" Kaworu called out. "Mari, prep the Lance!"

"Yes, Sir!" She drew the weapon back as Lillith swung at her. "AAAAAHH! Asuka, CATCH!" She hefted the Lance to Unit-02 as Lillith attempted to snatch it from her.

"Here, Shinji!" Asuka whipped the Lance under Lillith's legs to Unit-01, where Shinji looked to Lillith's...Rei's face. = YOU AND REI ARE (NOT) THE SAME! = "Kaworu, let's not waste any time!" He tossed the Lance to the First Angel, who caught it and levitated with it. Lillith turned to him.

"NOW, MARI!" He tossed the Lance over the body of the Second Angel, it tumbled down into Unit-06's grasp and Mari slung it into Lillith's womb. The Second Angel gasped and stumbled backwards, collapsing on her back, the Lance of Longinus pinning her to the ground.

"Mari, Asuka, give us protection. Shinji, do you trust me?"

"Of course, Kaworu!"

"You may not like what you see." He floated down to Lillith's corpse. He rested his hand over the area where her heart should be. = So it was there all along...Really, Gendo, you never did suspect me, you only saw a human Eva pilot that happened to find the Lance. =

He furrowed his brow and held his tongue as a burning pain entered his hand. He withdrew it to gaze upon the fossil currently embedded in it. His AT Field expanded and the fossil burned away, ingiting white-hot on his palm. = I am whole, again...What is my form, now... = He thought for a moment, and looked to Unit-06. = She would be rather satisfied, wouldn't she? =

He absorbed the power of Adam and he began to grow. The formerly-thin silver hared boy gained muscle. His arms, legs, back and abdomen rippled with visible strength. His hair lengthened, it stretched past his shoulders. His face and jaw hardened and he grew nearly a foot in height. Kaworu Nagisa, human avatar of the First Angel had become the modern epitome of the Herculean Ideal. Mari noticed rather quickly; the thin but handsome boy she was physically attracted to was now nothing short of the famous mortal son of Zeus. She was drooling at the sight.

Kaworu used his newfound godlike strength to pull the Lance from the earth and Lillith's body, straining with the weight and friction. It tore from Lillith, and Kaworu heaved and launched the Lance skyward, watching as it exited the earth once more, falling to the Moon a second time.

Lillith's dead flesh broke down, exploding into a sea of LCL several feet deep and flooding the land the Eva's currently occupied.

"KAWORU! YOU KILLED HER" Shinji screamed from Unit-01. He ejected the plug, the rockets launching him away from Unit-01 and dropping the plug down into the LCL. He burst from the door and stomped through the alien blood to where Kaworu...was holding the naked and unconscious body of Rei Ayanami.

"Kaworu! You-"

"You said you'd trust me, Shinji. I knew what must happen to save her. Lillith is dead, Rei needs medical care." He laid her in Shinji's arms. "She requires the plugsuit's life support functions, do you have hers?"

"...Yes. I do! Kaworu, Thank you." Shinji was tear-eyed.

"Do not waste time, Shinji, if she doesn't receive care, she _will_ die." Shinji nodded his understanding and made the trudge back to his crashed plug where he found the plugsuit he was carrying with him. He quickly dressed her and opened a channel to the bridge on his radio.

"Maya! Shigeru! Somebody! I have Rei! Read her plugsuit vitals! She needs emergency medical, now!"

Shigeru was the first to get his composure after the specters of Lillith vanished. "Shinji, she needs cardiac response, stand back!"

The suit shocked Rei and injected her with medical adrenaline. Her eyes shot open, to see herself in Unit-01's plug and Shinji ran to kneel over her. She weakly raised her hand and held his face.

"Shinji...I...I am disgusting..."

"No, Rei, you're not. You were afraid; afraid of losing me...Rei, REI!" She collapsed again.

Shinji panicked and grabbed his radio. "I NEED A PICKUP AND A MEDIC, NOW!"

* * *

_Love is blindness, I don't want to see. Won't you wrap the night;  
Around me? Oh my love, Blindness._

* * *

"You are all guilty of an act of war on a United Nations entity. As such, if your commanding officers and the individuals that gave your orders do not come forward, you will all be kept here, tried here, and most likely shot here. Since this was a black operation you fools launched on us, WE are innocent of any retaliatory action...Indeed I wouldn't be surprised if Japan already struck every single one of you from their records." Professor Fuyutsuki was intimidating the JSDF forces NERV had rounded up. After they saw their fallen comrades explode into orange fluid and ghostly blue girls absorb them, most of the soldiers panicked and surrendered. Misato was overseeing the Eva recovery and she ordered Rei's stretcher and Shinji be taken into medical where Ritsuko arrived from below to take over for her

"Shinji, her alien physiology was stripped from her." Ritsuko told Shinji from outside Rei's hospital room.

"So? That means that she's only human now, right?"

"It also means she's unstable. We're giving her the best treatment we have, right now...but..."

"Ritsuko, she isn't going to suffer through all this just to die here!" Shinji was growling.

"Yes, Shinji, I know you're hurt...I don't know what to tell you...Her blood is deficient in hemoglobin and her immune response is weakened, unless..." She trailed off.

"What is it Ritsuko?"

"Shinji, you aren't going to like it, but it's a possibility."

"Yes?"

"You and Rei just happen to have compatible blood types, I wonder why that is?" Risuko smirked.

"Not funny, Ritsuko."

"I wasn't finished, yet. We're going to put Rei in a medical coma while we draw pints of blood from her and filter it. A person with a compatible blood type then receives it in stages so they can create blood cells and antibodies that can be transfused back into Rei. You're the best option. You're going to have to get lots of injections and blood transfusions, but it may well save Rei's life."

"Uhhh...Uhh" Shinji started hyperventilating. He _hated_ shots.

"We can sedate you while it happens."

"...Yes, please."

* * *

"The Commander is dead!?"

"Yes, Colonel, he is. Order of ascension states that the sub-Commander takes authority and operation's director takes his place. You are being moved to my posting while I take command."

"Then who's the new OD?"

"Well, that's your decision, isn't it?"

"This is all too short notice, do you have any idea how many reports I have to fill! The JDSF is denying everything! How the hell do I explain Lillith having Rei's face!?"

"Rei? First Lieutenant Rei Ayanami? Colonel, she was attempting to reach the Eva bays around the same time as Soryu and Ikari when she was pursued by JSDF. She managed to evade them, but was unable to link back with her squadron. She was found in NERV's sublevels by security and taken to medical." Fuyutsuki smirked down to Misato. "Commander Ikari died from blood loss stemming from an arm blown away by a JSDF grenade." He winked.

"Professor-"

"Rei has suffered enough throughout her life, Colonel, let this event slip into history like it should."

* * *

Shinji was laying in a hospital bed they wheeled into Rei's room.

"Alright, Shinji breathe in and count to 3, that's all it'll take."

"Okay...One...Two...Thre-"

"Alright, doctors, lets not waste time.

* * *

A/N: I noticed something: With EOE I liked every character except Shinji. With Rebuild 3.0 I hated every character except Shinji. In EOE, Shinji's "Panic When He Sees Rei/Lillith" scene cemented my hate for him, and in 3.0 Asuka's "Punch the glass" scene, Misato's "You'll never do anything again" scene, and Kaworu's "I'll wear the collar!" scene made me hate all of them (and their astounding stupiditity)

So why did I include 'Love is Blindness'? It's a fantastic breakup/protest song. Edge was going through a very painful divorce while he was writing the guitar piece (he played until his hands bled while he was recording the studio version) and Bono wrote the lyrics to protest the terrorist actions in the Irish 'revolution' (clusterfuck is a better word, really) The song has references to car bombings, IED's and several murder cases in Ireland. Oh yeah, Jack White _and_ his version sucks.


	31. Chapter 30: Finale

Answers:  
ANON: Yui and Kyoko leaving would mean deactivating the Evas...and that kills the possibility of a sequel!  
Ch. 30 Guest: The series or movies never tell what would happen if Kaworu ever reached Adam. I took a clever guess and built off of it.  
Fleight and Fanus: You guys have been keeping up from the start, thank you.

* * *

Disclaimer: See Prologue  
Chapter 30: Finale

* * *

10 days after Fourth Impact.

"I'm definitely not complaining, but what exactly did you do to get yourself like this?" Mari was rubbing Kaworu's shoulders and marveling over his new deltoids and trapezius muscles.

"Adam, Mari, when alive, was the ultimate being in persona _and_ physicality. I am the vessel of Adam's soul. I chose to absorb the physical strength of the living fossil, but kept my general appearance. Adam's 'real' appearance is that of an unarmored Unit-00 or 02, and with good reason; they're essentially unintelligent clones of the First Angel. I am what they would be if they had a heart and mind...Come with me, Mari, I have a group of individuals to speak with, and I'd like you to meet them."

"...Okay...what are you planning, Kaworu?" She asked as they left Kaworu's assigned quarters at NERV's HQ.

* * *

11 days after Fourth Impact.

She opened her eyes and saw a svelte, brown haired boy sleeping in the hospital bed across from her, an intravenous bag dripping a red liquid into his arm.

"...Shinji?" She croaked out, her voice dry and broken.

"Rei?" Dr. Akagi's voice entered the room before the doctor herself arrived. "Yes, Shinji's here with you. He's the one making sure you recover, you're actually ahead of schedule...I didn't expect to see you awake for two more days." Rei gave her a confused look from the bed. "I'll explain everything tomorrow when Shinji's awake."

"...I need to use the washroom."

"You do?! Rei that's fantastic news, your kidneys are filtering your blood properly! I'll help you in." Ritsuko stated in surprise as she helped Rei weakly move to the nearby bathroom. "When you're done in there, go back to bed and rest, I'll be checking on you regularly."

"Yes, Doctor."

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING UP THERE!?" Misato had Kaji cornered in the exemplary sub-Commander's quarters, cowering from his woman's hairtrigger temper.

"Come on, Misato, it's not a big deal! You know I'm a pilot and I have the UN clearance to act as a flight liaison! The Germans offered their fighter support when they heard Asuka was in danger! I entered their flight as their Japanese escort; it's not that difficult!"

"And? How do you think I'd react if you got yourself blown up!?"

"Probably how you're reacting right now!" He looked up and over at Misato's raised palm, she grumbled and lowered her hand, pulling him up from the ground.

"If we're going to make this work, we have to start acting like adults. I won't fly off at you anymore; I just want something normal to happen. No more danger, no more insane heroics. I have a desk job now-"

"Misato, you're asking me to settle down while you're the head of a special operations branch. I don't want you to trade what you've got for anything, but you're asking me to give up investigating."

"I want you to give up getting yourself killed!"

"Me and the Eva pilots have something in common, Misato. We're at our safest when we're on the job. Having me just lying around doing nothing just makes me _more_ likely to get shot. That's what happens when you're a professional rat like me. SEELE's little gunman proved that to you; I wasn't in any danger then and I'm definitely safe at the controls of my plane." He looked at Misato's concerned expression. "You know what you've always wanted, Misato? A happier home than your mom and dad gave you." He held a hand over her mouth. "Don't even try to argue, you know I'm right. After this blows over and NERV's organized, I'll fly you and me out anywhere you want to go, just the two of us." He gave her one of his best ladykiller smiles.

Misato blushed red and lost the strength in her legs. = Dammit why does he have to look so good! = "That-That can't happen for a while, Kaji. Even if none of this recent crap officially happened, I still have to reorganize this place and select a new OD...I have no idea who's available for it, either!"

"Well, there is one close-to-18 year old girl that hasn't had her own Eva since she left Russia...A year of training and I'd bet she'd be fine for the job. She's as messed up as you are off the clock and just as determined as you are when she's fighting. She'd make an excellent successor, Colonel."

"You're suggesting Mari?!"

"She's fought three Angels so far, she's friends with the pilots, but she doesn't have a ride of her own. I'd say she's the perfect new OD."

* * *

Shinji felt himself getting poked in the arm; the painkillers had worn off. = Ah! No! Not more shots! AAh! = He looked up at Ritsuko with pleading eyes.

"Don't look at me like that and stop being a baby, Shinji. It's just an immunization; it's to keep you from getting sick as these blood samples get put in and out of you...There, done."

Shinji choked back a gag and looked over at Rei. "Ritsuko, is she any better?"

"Better than she was, yes, but we'll need to discuss some things, together. The blood we've been cycling between the two of you is helping her get her strength back, but her actual treatment hasn't started yet...The good news is that Rei's not being held responsible for anything that happened while the JSDF was invading: the Commander scapegoated the entire Japanese Military before the UN, and with the security videos of some JSDF assholes shooting up our hospital, NERV's been given diplomatic immunity and a funding increase. With that, she's free of all the shit we've put her through...that includes the things I've done. I really must've been sick to be jealous of a 15 year old girl..." Shinji noticed as Ritsuko's face fell.

"You're helping her now, Ritsuko, and Rei's said she isn't angry at anybody.

Hey, wait, when did she turn 15?"

"Technically never. Rei doesn't have a birthday...However, her current body has technically passed the point in puberty that a 15 year old girl would be at. Her physical growth is the best measurement we have for her."

"...I've got to get her somethin-"

"_You_ are too weak to get out of bed, young man. Go back to sleep."

* * *

13 days after Fourth Impact.

"I should have known it was in here from the beginning...Only took us a few days of wasted time to find it."

"What the hell is this place?!" Mari had watched as Kaworu walked into the Commander's quarters, pressed a hidden panel on the wall, and walked into a cubic room with lighting and audio equipment on the walls.

"This is where the Commander's puppeteers pull his strings. I have a message for them." He opened a terminal on the desk in the room and activated the holodeck. The floor, walls, and ceiling dissolved into an infinite expanse and towering stone slabs encircled the desk.

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: What authority do you think you have to summon _us_, Fuyutsuki?

"A god does what he likes."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: What!? _You_ should be-

"You fully expected Kaworu Nagisa, the Final Angel, to be killed in action, didn't you? You fully expected your little toy Evangelions to complete your Impact, am I correct?"

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: You will not disrespect us! You exist because of SEELE-

"I exist because I choose to, Lorenz. The problem with expecting the Angel of Free Will to serve you is forgetting that I think for myself, something you fools can't handle. You're not capable of controlling anything more independent than a puppet; I've been serving myself for as long as you've had me, you're just too blind to have seen that."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: Your choice to mock us will not be forgotten-

"Really, Lorenz, you're an old man. You're filthy rich, why not just retire and enjoy your money? Trust me when I say that godhood is boring."

SEELE-01 SOUND ONLY: We exist to achieve Completion! We will not stop until we have evolved into godhood, and we will destroy all those that fail us. Ikari is gone, your new Commander is too weak to resist us, and we will destroy _you _without hesitation.

"I consider your hatred of me a compliment. We're done here. If you think you can harm me and those I value, you are a bigger fool than I expected. I'm looking forward to the day you act on your foolishness, Lorenz." Kaworu cut the holodeck feed and turned to Mari. "SEELE's associates think they can exact retribution against those that don't follow them like lost sheep. The old fools are so arrogant that they're blind to their own weakness."

"Is picking a fight with them a good idea?"

"They would have brought the fight to us; instead, we scored the first victory by letting them know that they don't have surprise on their side."

"Kawrou, I wouldn't have guessed you'd be so…bloodthirsty-"

"I've had three lifetimes to suffer SEELE's foolishness. We're closer than we've ever been to peace and security. I won't allow the old fools to eliminate that."

"Well then, if there's anything I can do to screw them up, you let me know."

"Don't worry, Mari, together, those that give us our strength cannot be overcome."

* * *

18 days after Fourth Impact.

Shinji was stunned awake by the feeling of a pair of warm, moist lips against his own. He struggled under the 60 Kilograms on top of him until he got oriented enough to notice that _not_ resisting would be much more pleasant. She broke the kiss and rested on his chest.

"It's nice to see you too." He joked, committing the taste to memory. "Don't we have standing orders to stay in bed?"

"I've learned that disobeying orders can have a much more...thrilling outcome."

He broke down laughing, working his fingers through her hair. "Okay," he said between laughs. "I would've never believed this: Rei Ayanami, synthetic human, perfect soldier, kind of a perv when you get down to it."

"Only for a certain male friend of mine that's earned it-" She gasped when he started massaging her back, only for a blond scientist to come into their view, and she was (not) happy about their current position.

"AM I NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE YOU TWO ALONE FOR FIVE MINUTES!?"

"Actually, Dr. Akagi, I believe that you have been absent for the last two hours and fifteen minutes."

The exasperated woman buried her face in her hands. "You know I was being facetious, Rei. Since you two are awake, I can give you a debrief, if you'd have the decency to untangle yourself from the teenage boy under you. He is in no condition to engage in any activity that would raise his blood pressure." She gave a glare to Rei who reluctantly returned to her own bed. "Now that you two have been dealt with...Rei, how long have you been out?"

"...I suppose it's been a while?"

"Shinji, do you know?"

"...I lost track of time..."

"All right then, it's been 18 days since Lillith died. Rei, you've been in a medical sleep for the vast majority. Shinji's been awake for six of them."

"How did we get like this?"

"For you specifically, Rei, you managed to survive getting absorbed by an Angel, getting stabbed with a Lance, and finally exploding. When Lillith died, your alien body was destroyed and only your human percentage remained. It's been healing faster than we expected, but we have a few things to go over...In fact, try knocking over that instrument cart." She nodded over the tray of syringes and drugs across from the gurney.

Rei started to climb out of the bed. "No, no, I mean with a field." She raised her hand and furrowed her eyebrows...nothing happened.

"Just as I suspected. Lillith is gone and only Rei remains. Now, down to business. Shinji's responsible for your recovery thus far, but your anemia is back because of Lillith's death. You and Shinji have compatible blood, so for the past 18 days, you've been receiving transfusions of Shinji's healthy bloodstream- you two have compatible types, after all -and you back to proper iron levels and blood cell counts because of it. However, you are suffering from malabsorption and weak tissue.

For that, you're going on a diet. Rei, I know you're a vegetarian, but you need to start eating grass-fed beef liver. It's an animal's treasure chest for absorbed nutrients, and I'll bet Shinji will know how to cook it so it's appetizing enough."

"If it's required for my health, I can eat meat dishes."

"It is, for now at least. You also need to eat rich plants: spinach, carrots, dark tomatoes, blueberries, blackberries and pomegranates, just to name a handful. You're going back on your anemia medication until further notice and you'll receive vitamin, mineral, and fiber supplements. Last but not least, until your skin and bones condense, you're not doing anything strenuous."

"She has that much wrong with her, Doc?"

"Going from Angel to human _by exploding _did a number on her body, Shinji. The fact that she didn't die from it is a real-life miracle. She's healing and improving- slowly -she still can't have children. You two've practically switched bodies with the volume of blood you've had to exchange, but it's worked to the point that she'll only need diet changes and medication for the foreseeable future."

"And I've only been awake every third day to keep me from hurting myself?"

"Not quite, Shinji. We've kept you sedated to keep you from blood sugar and pressure changes, Rei's thin blood weakened you, after all. After you created healthy cells, we'd have to get them out of you and back into Rei, and that left you tired and at risk for tachycardia. We're going to keep you both one more day, then you'll be released into Misato's care."

"Ritsuko," Shinji cut in, "is Misato really the best person to act as a nurse?"

"Not at all, Shinji, but you are. You're going to be responsible for Rei's diet and safety. She can keep up with her prescriptions; she's been doing it all her life."

"Sounds like it's going to get crowded..."

"Actually no, you'll find out later, for now, go back to sleep. In. Different. Beds."

* * *

"Well, Commander, I have a candidate for OD; she'll need at least one year of training and a probationary period after that."

"Her name, Colonel?"

"United Nations Special Agent Mari Illustrious, Order of the British Empire. The first English Eva pilot."

"I owe her a personal debt of gratitude. Your choice is excellent, except for her age-"

"Hence the long probationary period. By the time she's fully active, she'll be 20."

"Very good, I'll write the permanent station orders and the promotion immediately, Colonel."

* * *

"You want me to be WHAT!?"

"Interim Operations Director with a candidacy for a permanent assignment."

"Your old job? The Eva squadron commander?"

"Yes. You don't have a Unit of your own, but you do have combat experience and you know Eva procedures by memory. Don't worry, you're going under a year of training and two years of probation."

"Colonel, does that me that _I_ am being permanently assigned to Japan, as well? Technically, I also report directly to the United Nations."

"We've already taken that into consideration, Kaworu. Unit-02's getting yanked back to Germany, so we need both Unit 01 and 06, otherwise Japan is alone with one Eva Unit. Considering the excellent press we got from the JSDF's failed attack, we can demand pretty much anything we want."

"Wonderful, I'm in no hurry to go back to Tabtha."

* * *

19 days after Fourth Impact.

"Let's see, we're dressed, you've got your first round of medication, Misato should be at the surface-"

"They letting you two off the hook that easy?!" A grating teen boy's voice entered Shinji and Rei's room. Touji _walked_ in with a cane in one hand and leaning on Hikari with another.

"Hi, Shinji, Rei. Misato let me visit Touji, today. What a surprise to see him learning how to walk again!"

"Touji...That's Awesome!" Shinji felt pride at seeing his best friend fighting for his strength back.

"Pilot Suzuhara...Your willingness to hold onto life is heroic in itself."

"Come on, guys." He said "It's just physical therapy. Me and Hikari heard you two were in here after that last fight; we had to see if you were worse off than I was...I wasn't going to let you live it down!"

"Shinji is far too capable of a pilot to allow that to happen, Touji." Rei argued.

"Says the one from the wheelchair-"

"This isn't from the fight, Touji." Shinji cut in.

"Oh, sorry. Then whatever it is, get better soon, Rei. I'm gonna take Hikari and introduce her to Sakura." The hobbling boy left with help from his girlfriend.

"Pilot Suzuhara is recovering."

"So are you, Rei." He leaned down to kiss her cheek and wheeled her out of the room.

* * *

"So, just so you two know," Misato said as she missed a red light, "I'm more than happy to have Rei with us from now on. Ritsuko's already given me Rei's new diet and prescriptions, and I'm working to make the apartment a little more accessible-"

"MISATO, SLOW DOWN, You've got a patient in here!" Shinji was trying to cradle Rei as Misato did less driving and more skidding on their way back home.

"Why? The sooner I get you home, the sooner you get out of the car." She swerved around a minivan and Shinji gagged as Rei tried to look indifferent, and failing.

* * *

"...What is all this stuff?!"

"This 'stuff' is Mine, Shinji!" Asuka shouted from her mostly-empty room. "It's going back to Germany, maybe now you understand how bare and empty this apartment is!"

"Have you done all this packing alone, Asuka." Rei asked, glancing around at the boxes stacked high.

"No, the movers are helping me."

"You aren't leaving because I'll be staying here-"

"Although I have no desire for you as a roommate, Wondergirl, I wouldn't leave because of you. Unit-02 belongs to Germany and I have to go with it."

"...Asuka, do you...hate me for what's happened?"

Asuka tilted her head. "...I guess...didn't it happen because of what Bastard Ikari did to you?"

"In a way...yes."

"Then it'll be a lot easier to just hate him! So no, Rei, I'm not mad...You take care of Shinji, okay..."

"It's Shinji who's agreed to take care of me."

"Yeah. I heard that. You know I always wanted a guy capable of fighting back with me? I never considered how good it would be to have a family man, so you have me beat there. You're getting my old room. It's plenty big for whatever you've got."

"I do not have much..."

"What?! Come on, Wondergirl, we're loaded! Get your boyfriend to take you shopping or something!"

"I'm not in the condition to carry heavy packages or-"

"God you're sheltered! You make _him_ take _you _and he has to carry the stuff and pay for it all!"

"That seems rather unfair-"

"It's not _supposed_ to be 'fair', it's about the girl being in charge!" Asuka stood proudly with her hands on her hips.

"...I prefer seeing Shinji and myself as equals."

"God, Wondergirl, you're going to set feminism back a decade all by yourself!"

"...Since when is feminism an outlet for acting vain and self-absorbed? It is a movement that celebrates the differences that men and women possess and notes that those differences shouldn't separate us."

"So? You don't get any advantages from being 'equal'! It's about being better!"

"Being equal, not 'better', is how I want to be seen by Shinji."

"You're hopeless-"

"Asuka! The van is here!"

"Coming, Misato!" She ran into the main room where she started ordering the moving crew to load their truck 30 minutes ago...The burly men vaguely ignored the bratty half-pint.

"So, this is goodbye, Asuka?" Shinji asked her.

"I have my orders, Shinji, and I've got a dad and stepmom that I need to connect with. I didn't do it when I was growing up, so I'll fix it now. Besides, I'm an heir to 220,000 Euros, I've got my degree already, and I'm the sexiest woman alive! Japan couldn't handle me and Germany won't be able to either!" She proclaimed, at the top of her lungs.

= Things are going to get quieter, at least. =

* * *

"Happy Housewarming!" Mari giggled out as she squeezed Rei at their dinner table.

"How...did you...know I moved?" Rei said as she fought to breathe.

"Me and Mr. Hunk over here went to see you and Shinji in the hospital. Ritsy told us you'd been released! We had to come see you, I'm happy you're all better!"

"I'm not 'all better', I just need less invasive treatment. Shinji's responsible for me until I'm taken care of..."

"That's as just a cause as can be, Shinji." Kaworu looked over to him.

"Yeah, it is. Kaworu, how did you get...big, anyway?"

"I absorbed the being your father used to try and destroy the world. From it, I gained its ancient strength. I can't say I'm offended by the result."

"Me neither!" Mari gushed, arms wrapped around one of his own.

"Rei, Kaworu, just so you know...I'm still weirded out by having two half-Angels in my dining room, but we're friends, so I don't care 'what' you two are. So, Miss Director, what do you think of your new job?" Misato asked.

"Well...I'd have loved to keep piloting, but this is the next best thing! I'm going to give Shinji and Kaworu a living nightmare!" The boys suddenly looked sick.

"Misato," Rei spoke up. "I'm no longer a pilot...Am I expected to leave NERV?"

"Actually, Rei, yes. But not for the reason you think. I just happen to know that you're technically a high-school grad, and I've managed to get you a scholarship! How'd you like to go to Tokyo-3's campus of Tokyo University in the fall? The city's being rebuilt double quick, and that means the schools are opening back up! Granted you have four months to think it over-"

"Yes. I'd be happy to...I never would've believed that I could be so privileged..."

"Don't act like that. You're just as valuable as any of us. I know that our ex-Commander did all that crap to you. It's his fault, not yours. You're part of this family, too."

Rei wheeled herself over to where Misato was sitting. She wrapped the older woman in a hug and barely whispered into her arms. "Commander Ikari was the closest I've ever had to a family...I've never felt like I have a mother before-"

"You do now." She said as she returned the affection.

* * *

"Rei," Misato called, "Need any help?"

"No, ma'am, I'm dressed for bed and I've taken my new prescriptions."

"Okay then, the room is now yours."

After their late dinner with the new Squadron Commander and her better half, the new Katsuragi household turned in for the evening.

Shinji was already asleep when the women went to their rooms, only to be startled awake at the sound of squeaking wheels rolling into the room.

He felt a hand over his mouth as she laid down on his futon beside him.

"I can't wait to get out of that wheelchair. It makes too much noise."

"...Rei." He peeled away from her hand. "Didn't Ristuko say something about strenuous activity?"

"Yes, and we won't be doing any. I only want to be feel your warmth."

He pulled her to his side, they wrapped their arms around the other and Rei rested her head on his shoulder. "Shinji, thank you for saving me all those times. Now that I know what it feels like to be loved...I don't want to go back to the way things ever were."

"You can't thank me, Rei." He answered as he held her. "You're the one who saved me." The kiss that followed lasted until neither of them could withhold their breathing.

* * *

A/N: I have maybe one or two more things in store for the adorable couple, but this story has pretty much reached a happy ending!


	32. Epilogue

Epilogue

* * *

"SQWAAK!"

Shinji bolted out of bed, smacking his head against the nearby wall.

He came to, several minutes later to see Rei kneeling over him and cradling PenPen, who was enjoying the attention. "Shinji, are you hurt?"

"...Probably, yeah..." He dazedly groaned out and stumbled out of his room to see Misato awake early and making toast, eggs, and bacon.

"Misato! Get away from the kitchen!" Shinji was panicking.

"Oh shut up you wimp. I've been practicing my cooking, it's only breakfast. Tell Rei that she needs to eat a couple of eggs, she needs the protein. Oh, by the way, I left really early to pick up PenPen, and I saw you had a sleepover last night!" She smiled mischievously and rooted through her cabinets for a can of sardines for her bird.

"MISATO! We didn't do-"

"I know you didn't. I just wanted to show how cute you two look when you're snuggled up together! _But_, if you do get any funny ideas..."

"Rei and I have agreed. Nothing yet, not for a while."

"Shinji, that's very mature and responsible. Trust me, when you wait until you have a meaningful relationship with one special person, the physical part becomes _much_ more satisfying. Kaji and I didn't understand that until we got old...You two don't seem to have that problem."

* * *

"Shinji...It's crowded..." Rei apprehensively stated as she was wheeled through the aisles of Tokyo-3's super mall, Shinji deftly manoeuvring around scattered clusters of people, soft pop music playing over the various conversations they would overhear.

"Hey, you said you _wanted_ to visit this place, today."

"Asuka said I needed to make you take me shopping for clothes and other things she said I should have."

"Rei, that's just Asuka being shallow. You can do whatever you want...If you want to leave, we can."

"No, she was right when she stated that I don't have enough clothing or belongings, but I do not like the looks that I'm receiving from the other shoppers..."

"That's just people's sympathy, Rei. They see you in a wheelchair and they want you to get better, even if they don't come up to you and say it. We're in a city of millions, we'll never even see any of these faces again."

"Yet you've protected them all..."

"So have you, Rei. Don't start labeling yourself as the bad guy again, I'm not going to let you. You know, if you don't want to go clothes shopping, we could go to the bookstores here-"

"No, I have plenty to read. I decided to go back through all that I already had when you had my library brought to Misato's. I really do need new outfits, though, and I want you to like what I buy."

"Rei, you look like a knockout while your wearing your ordinary school clothes...You'll look great no matter what you find."

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay on your own?"

"I can stand, Shinji. I only lack the strength to travel long distances." She emerged on foot from a dressing room, Shinji waiting patiently outside, until Shinji was stunned to the floor.

She was wearing a light blue sleeveless blouse, a dark blue pencil skirt that curved to her knees, violet stockings and buckled shoes. Shinji approved.

"You like it, then?"

"Re-Rei...uhh...buh...wha?"

"Misato once told me to be proud of my ability to reduce a boy to a stuttering wreck...I almost feel sorry for you, Shinji." She went back in and got changed...into a pure white one-piece. She had to give Shinji stomach blows to stop the choking.

"Shinji, Shinji!"

"I...you...so good..."

"Male hormones." Rei stated in sarcasm. She changed back into her regular clothes after leaving Shinji splayed on the ground.

* * *

"Are you certain you aren't the one who should be riding the wheelchair, Shinji?"

"It wasn't funny, Rei." Shinji brooded as he pushed her out to a waiting NERV vehicle.

"Well, maybe not for you, but I find some intriguing irony in watching the one who killed over a dozen towering extraterrestrials be defeated by a girl in a swimsuit."

Shinji blushed. Rei's hidden sense of humor was equal parts demented and brilliant.

"Okay, you evil woman. We're going to be late for our plane."

* * *

An old man wearing a suit and tie stepped from his car as he returned from a long day of educating when a jet engine roared over head and centered over the suburb road outside his old, historic home. The tilt-engine vehicle settled onto the ground and the large NERV Identification came into view.

A ramp lowered from within and a girl wearing a high-school dress and blouse rolled down, being pushed in a wheelchair by a boy with messy brown hair. The old man recognized him instantly, but was surprised by the strong stature and confident expression he never expected Shinji to offer.

"Well, he's grown quite a bit...and who's this companion of his?"

The pair wheeled their way up to him.

"What do you think of my new ride, Sensei?" He motioned back to the VTOL, the nearby pilot going through postflight inspections.

"I assume your father knows you took one of his expensive aircraft for a joyride?"

"About that, we've got a lot to talk about."

* * *

"Well, first I think you have a guest to introduce, Shinji." They were situated in his well-decorated living room, artifacts from Second-Impact devastated areas displayed with care.

"Sensei, meet Rei...She's the one I had you send my cello out for."

The old man smiled. "I worked very hard to impress a girl at a time in my life, looks like the tradition hasn't changed."

"She's amazing, Sensei." Shinji swooned over her. "She's a teen prodigy: She's 15 and she's going to Tokyo University when it opens back up. She's been training longer than I have and she can kick my ass, and she enjoys my music even more than I do..." Rei was blushing. Hard.

He took her hand and bowed. "But, you brought her all the way out here in the condition she's in?"

"I assure you, sir, I'm well on my way to recovery...I just rely on this thing because I tire easily."

"And you let him convince you to fly out to this small Tokyo-2 suburb to meet an old man?"

"He speaks very highly of you; being here, I can see why. It's my pleasure to meet you." She looked to the examples of art and history placed around his home. "Your collections are most impressive."

"Yes. Quite a few of my fellow teachers tease me about living in the past, but I believe in setting a good example for the children I teach, hence the three piece suit I wear for my students, every day. It shows that I care for them enough to appear as a gentleman." And he was right, he was dressed to the nines in gentlemanly elegance. "You said you were recovering, my dear, may I ask how you found yourself in this condition?"

"She was...injured in the last attack on Tokyo-3, Sensei."

"Allow me to offer my apology, then. I'm sure it must have been terrible. Shinji," He turned to the young man. "You told me your father had you working for him, and you're using _his_ equipment to visit me out here, can I assume that you're in each other's good graces?"

Shinji's eyes fell and Rei held his hand. "No...Dad was killed. One of the projects he started to...defend against the attacks backfired, it killed him when it was activated..."

"Shinji, I'm sorr-"

"I've already accepted it, Sensei. It was beyond my ability to help..."

"But, if my guess was correct, I'd say you did quite a bit of 'helping'."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I may be old, but I do know how to use the Internet. I've read the stories about the Angel attacks and NERV's fight against them, especially the teenage combat pilots, including a frail girl with blue hair..."

"Sensei, we still don't have permission to discuss it-"

"And there's no need. Call me paranoid, or a conspiracy nut, but the official reports have nothing on the civilian stories. The fact is, Shinji, along with your friends...You've made yourself into quite the legend."

* * *

A/N: Hooray! The Legend has been told!  
First, I've got an idea brewing for a sequel: Stay tuned.

Second: I'd like to thank my regular readers and especially my regular reviewers:  
Fanus and Hermes77: You guys have been following for a long time and your comments are equal parts brilliant and hilarious.  
Kaizer and Fleight: Even when you only wrote things like 'great chapter', you two've been following from the start as well, and I appreciate it to no end.  
Thaeonblade, Dr. Dude, and Akuma: We've done most of our communication via private message, and your insight has genuinely shaped this story! Take a bow, you three.

Third (And I'm sorry to have to do this): I'm going to address the multitiude of flaming PM's that I've recieved from butthurt Asukashippers. I actually didn't treat her as bad as I could have. My dislike for Asuka stems from the fact that: Your Girl. Is. A. Criminal. The things she does to Shinji and Rei throughout the series make her guilty of multiple counts of physical and sexual assault. I could have (and I wanted to) written her into a jail cell for this story. And in response to one message, I don't fantasize about Rei. If I had anything to do with Eva, Shinji and Rei would be together and I'd be running off with Mari. Now, for those of you who've politely disagreed, thanks, I welcome more of your comments.


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